Technology firms Johnson Matthey, Schaeffler and Bekaert have partnered with research institute TNO on a shared research programme to bring down the costs of for proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) electrolysers.

The group will investigate more efficient use of scarce critical elements and components that offer increased efficiency over today’s electrolysers.

“The collaboration envisaged by this consortium aims to accelerate not just in the area where Johnson Matthey is focused, but of PEM technology as a whole,” says Ralph Calmes, managing director of hydrogen technologies at Johnson Matthey.

Currently, only alkaline electrolyser (AE) and PEM systems are fully commercialised. AE systems still offer the largest system size at the lowest cost, as they have the advantage of using low-cost components for both electrodes, as well as long operating lifetimes.

“The collaboration envisaged by this consortium aims to accelerate not just in the area where Johnson Matthey is focused, but of PEM technology as a whole” Calmes, Johnson Matthey

But AE systems also have a number of significant drawbacks, including their high lower limit of minimum load, which prevents their coupling with some types of renewables.

The low level of partial load required by PEM electrolysers and their ability to rapid-cycle makes them more suitable for running on intermittent renewable power sources. But the high cost of catalysts and electrodes used by PEM electrolysers means research is increasingly focused on ways to reduce the use of these materials or recycle them. 

Open for business

The research programme is open to new participants and forms part of TNO’s ‘Voltachem’ innovation scheme that supports the chemical industry and energy sector.

“We expect that this will only be the beginning in the development of a next generation high-tech sustainable process industry,” says Martijn de Graaff, programme director at Voltachem.

Johnson Matthey has secured a £400mn ($530mn) UK government-backed loan to support its push into green hydrogen as well as raising €315mn ($344mn) from investors.

The firm has already previously pledged to invest £1bn in clean hydrogen research, development and deployment technologies. The focus on hydrogen comes after the company exited the battery materials sector last year, citing poor returns.

---

Author: Tom Young