In the electrolyzer sector, not only Enapter needed to bury its production plans in Saerbeck last year (see H2-international Jan. 2025). Quest One is also struggling and announced the dismissal of 120 employees in February 2025. Quest One had just, with a lot of pomp, opened the production hall in northern Hamburg last autumn (see H2-international Jan. 2025), but now has initiated a "program to strengthen the company's competitiveness" for the north.
The push for more sustainable hydrogen generation has never been more critical, fueled by industries striving to decarbonize. And although green hydrogen production via water electrolysis holds immense promise for decarbonization, it grapples with a harsh reality: an almost complete dependence on an expensive and environmentally taxing resource. But what’s the deal with iridium? And can hydrogen live up to its reputation as a key tool for industrial decarbonization?
Nordrhein-Westfalen is further expanding its capacities in the H2 research sector. In September 2024, the expanded HyTechLab4NRW in Duisburg went into operation. Since then, the site of the Center for Fuel Cell Technology has provided even better conditions for research into fuel cells and...
The course to success of Siqens began with special methanol fuel cells. Then came the electrochemical hydrogen separation (EHS) in addition, based on the self-developed HT-PEM-FC stacks. With their help, hydrogen can be separated from natural gas or waste gases from industry and waste incineration with a high degree of purity. The manufacturer also sees EHS in combination with its own fuel cells as a solution to the last mile problem.
Despite challenging times, there are still reports of new H2 projects going ahead. For example, in mid-May 2024, building work began on a 10-megawatt electrolyzer in the Magdeburg region of Germany. It is here, in Osterweddingen, that energy company Enertrag intends to make green hydrogen using...
In Hydrogen Lab Bremerhaven, manufacturers and operators of electrolyzers can put their systems to the test. The fluctuating feed-in of wind power is, in contrast to the steady mode of operation, a challenge. How the associated complex processes can be optimized engineers are now testing in real operation.
An electrolyzer in the town of Napajedla in southeastern Czech Republic has produced the country’s first green hydrogen from solar power. The industrial green hydrogen production facility is run by Solar Global, one of the leading companies in the Czech renewables sector.
The cooperative FRHY project, which forms part of the German flagship hydrogen initiative H2Giga, is aimed at scaling up electrolyzer manufacturing. Increasing electrolyzer production rates requires new technical solutions. To facilitate the development of these essential technologies a model stack was created as a point of reference. Named the FRHY Stack, it is a high-efficiency electrolyzer with the potential for industrial mass production which also supports knowledge and technology transfer.
In May 2021, Hungary published its national hydrogen strategy. It sets out how the country plans to create opportunities post-coal. According to the strategy, gray hydrogen is initially expected to be used within industry in the current decade. This will then be replaced only gradually by electrolytic hydrogen. Solar-derived hydrogen is to be produced on sites of former opencast mines, with the first plant already in operation.
If hydrogen is expected to change the world, then the associated industries need to massively expand their capacities in the next few years. That will only happen if you build on existing knowledge. This is vital when it comes to scaling and automation, explains Tassilo Gast from automation specialist Emerson in his interview with H2-international.
The production of hydrogen is now recognized as an emerging market right around the globe. Many diverse electrolyzer manufacturers are experiencing unprecedented demand. A great many new players are jumping on the bandwagon and increasing numbers of conventional energy suppliers are pivoting from traditional power sources to renewable energies and embedding hydrogen in their portfolios. So what is the current situation vis-a-vis electrolyzers and what can we expect in the future? This article seeks to shine a light on these and other questions by providing a general – though not necessarily exhaustive – roundup of recent developments.
