After a two-year duration, the project Power-to-MEDME-R&D, funded by the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), was completed at the end of 2025. The goal was to investigate the entire value chain of Power-to-X products in Chile—from the production of green hydrogen to the synthesis of methanol and dimethyl ether (DME). A key technological advancement was achieved by the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (IAP). The researchers developed novel catalysts for PEM electrolysers that require significantly less iridium than previous solutions.
Iridium is a common but very expensive and rare catalyst for water electrolysis. The new materials from the Fraunhofer IAP contain only seven milligrams of iridium per 25 square centimetres—while maintaining the same performance. "Our newly developed catalysts contain only seven milligrams of iridium on an area of 25 square centimetres, yet achieve the performance of layers with four times as much iridium," explains Dr. Christoph Gimmler, head of the Department of Nanoscale Energy and Structural Materials at the Fraunhofer IAP. Initial tests confirm the performance. Long-term tests are being prepared, and the research team is still seeking project partners for this purpose.
New catalysts are expected to scale quickly for industrial application in electrolysers
The catalysts are processed into inks at the Fraunhofer IAP and used as electrode material. To rapidly transfer the technology to industrial application, the researchers rely on a patented process for continuous flow synthesis. This enables the production of precisely defined catalyst nanoparticles on an industrial scale. Thus, the process meets a key requirement for implementing the "Lab to Fab" approach of the German government within the framework of the Hightech Agenda.
Catalysts significantly influence the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of hydrogen production. In addition to the Fraunhofer IAP, the project involved the Fraunhofer IEE (project management), Fraunhofer Chile Research, Fraunhofer ISE, IMM, ISC, IKTS, RWTH Aachen, and the AHK Chile.
