Japan’s Tokyo Gas and California-based startup H2U Technologies have entered a multi-year joint development agreement aimed at developing iridium-free proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) electrolysers.

PEM electrolysers are able to ramp up and down in response to fluctuating input, making them well-suited for direct connection to renewable assets. However, they are significantly more expensive than alkaline electrolysers, in part due to the use of platinum group metals (PGM)—iridium in particular—as catalysts. These rare metals present a potential bottleneck for green hydrogen, with consultancy Rystad estimating that PGM usage in electrolysers must fall by 70–80pc to prevent constraints on PEM electrolyser deployment.

“The cost of producing green hydrogen today is too high” McGough, H2U

Tokyo Gas and H2U plan to develop low-cost, high-performance, non-iridium catalysts and catalyst-coated membranes protect against potential supply chain risk. Tokyo Gas will use hydrogen from its electrolyser projects either directly or to manufacture synthetic methane.

H2U first demonstrated its iridium-free PEM electrolyser modules last December, with an ambition to ship its first proof-of-concept systems to customers in 2023. The startup has previously partnered with US utility Socalgas to demonstrate an electrolyser system.

The startup uses artificial intelligence in its catalyst discovery engine (CDE) to identify potential materials that could be used for catalysts in PEM electrolyser technology.

“Our CDE is a great opportunity for energy suppliers, renewable hydrogen project developers, and electrolyser manufacturers, like Tokyo Gas, to discover and develop efficient, active and lower-cost replacements for PGM-based electrocatalysts within a joint development approach,” says Mark McGough, CEO of H2U.

“The cost of producing green hydrogen today is too high and the reliance on rare and costly catalyst materials is not sustainable. Through scientific collaboration, our CDE will allow Tokyo Gas to rapidly discover novel materials so they can bring their own PEM electrolysers to market and produce renewable hydrogen at affordable costs,” he adds.

---

Author: Polly Martin