A consortium including Siemens Energy, Matteco and Horbia has revealed plans to develop a new, ‘highly efficient’ precious metal-free alkaline electrolyser, backed by €3m ($3.2m) of Horizon Europe funding.
Dubbed SEAL-HYDROGEN, the project involving Siemens, Matteco, Horbia, the Institute of Molecular Sciences (ICMoI) of the Unviersity of Valencia, and the Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nuremberg for Renewable Energies (HI ERN), hopes to deliver a “sustainable, efficient and scalable” electrolyser to reduce green hydrogen costs.
The project will aim to replace precious metal-based catalysts with critical raw material-free alternatives, such as nickel and iron, which the consortium hopes will enable higher current densities and efficiencies while making electrolyser production more sustainable.
Headed up by Gonzalo Abellán, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Matteco, the group has been awarded €3m Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) grant from the EU’s Horizon Europe programme.
Under the plans, it will see the scale-up of PGM-free nickel-iron-based catalysts, coatings and electrodes from Matteco, as well as a full-scale electrolyser stack design to bring the technology to pre-pilot level.
Spanish-based Matteco launched last year (2023) with the promise of offering materials designed to improve electrolyser efficiency by reducing energy consumption by up to 30%.
Read more: Spanish green hydrogen materials company launched with global electrolyser plans
Abellán said the company was proud to collaborate with leading organisations across both industry and academia.
“It is inspiring to carry out a tangible transfer of knowledge and technology, from the initial conception in the laboratory, through the field of experimentation and finally transforming it into a concrete application for the green hydrogen industry,” he added.
Siemens Energy is said to be contributing its PEM electrolysis expertise. Last November (2023), Siemens with Air Liquide announced the opening of a multi-gigawatt electrolyser factory in Berlin, Germany.
Read more: Siemens Energy and Liquide GW-scale electrolyser begins operations
Precious metals are a key component of various electrolyser systems to ensure efficient and stable electrolysis process. However, PGM cost and supply has been a major concern for electrolysis players, causing a rising interest in alternative solutions.
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