Technology

Anyone who wants to develop fuel cells needs more than just product knowledge – in-depth expertise in manufacturing technology is also crucial. Robert Atkinson, head of the hydrogen unit in Factory Automation, explains how Siemens supports customers with its extensive experience in production technology.

Green hydrogen is considered one of the key ingredients for meeting global climate targets. And it is also a possible alternative to gas, which makes the need to accelerate the hydrogen economy in Germany and Europe all the more urgent. However, establishing a hydrogen economy requires more than just innovative technologies for its production, transmission and utilization. It demands digital solutions to raise efficiency, forecast hydrogen demand and supply, monitor transmission and storage and ensure the safe use of hydrogen in a variety of applications. Yet there has so far been little or insufficient sharing of the data needed to perform these tasks among potential market participants. The primary reasons for this are a lack of trust and a fear of competitive disadvantage. The HyTrust project, funded by the German education and research ministry, now intends to tackle these challenges by creating a data trustee model in the hydrogen economy.

Plans to expand Germany’s hydrogen landscape are well underway. A large number of electrolyzers for green hydrogen production and thousands of kilometers of new or converted pipelines for hydrogen transmission will be built in the coming years. This offers us the opportunity to think holistically from the outset about the advancing trends of hydrogen and digitalization and to digitalize the hydrogen sector. This article intends to demonstrate the potential that can be leveraged through the digitalization of the entire green hydrogen value chain.

At the Hydrogen Technology Expo, AvCarb is presenting its new gas diffusion layer Flex-GDL. The material is flexible, thin, and suitable for both fuel cells and electrolysers. It is designed to improve system efficiency and durability.

The new PdCu39 membrane enables the production of high-purity hydrogen via steam reforming without additional heating systems.

Laufenberg and Wevo-Chemie are presenting a new process for the continuous production of flat gaskets for fuel cells and electrolysers at the Hydrogen Technology Expo in Hamburg. The technology is intended to make production more efficient and cost-effective.

For the Sulphur Dioxide Depolarised Electrolysis (SDE), the institute received the hy-fcell Award in the Research & Development category. Dr. Dimitrios Dimitrakis explains in the interview with H2international what makes the process so special.

With support from the German federal government and the Federal State of Lower Saxony, the Technical University (TU) of Braunschweig is establishing a new research center for circular production and recycling processes of batteries and fuel cells. Starting in 2027, around 150 researchers will work there on closed material cycles.

From August 21 to 27, 2025, the city of Chemnitz will become the center of an international hydrogen competition for young talents: At the world finals of the Hydrogen Grand Prix, more than 60 student teams from 23 countries will compete with self-developed H2 racing vehicles.

Natural hydrogen from geological sources raises hopes as an affordable energy source. However, a current position paper by the ESYS initiative shows significant research needs. According to experts, the energy carrier is not suitable as a gamechanger.

Sunfire, an electrolyzer manufacturer based in Dresden, Germany, has unveiled a new 50 MW pressurized alkaline electrolysis module. According to the company, the outdoor-capable Hylink Alkaline 23 system is designed to reduce the total installed costs of large-scale hydrogen projects by up to 50 percent.

Thyssenkrupp Nucera is to supply 15 alkaline electrolysers with a combined capacity of 300 MW for the Onuba project in Huelva, southern Spain. According to Moeve, it will be the largest green hydrogen facility in southern Europe.

The new XTI rupture disc from Bormann & Neupert by BS&B is milled from solid material and manufactured entirely without weld seams. This is designed to ensure particularly good leak-tightness in high-pressure ­applications.

Weld seams found on some rupture discs also represent a potential weak point...

Greene Tweed has introduced a new compressor technology for hydrogen pipelines. The closed impeller made from composite materials achieved a tip speed of 688 m/s in tests – twice that of conventional metallic impellers, according to the company.

Transporting hydrogen by pipeline requires high...

Allengra has optimised its ultrasonic flow sensor for process monitoring in electrolysers. The sensor enables inline measurement of electrolyser production rates through precise detection of the wet hydrogen gas flow directly after hydrogen generation. At the same time, it detects oxygen (O2) levels...