Imagine a water-splitting machine that pushes out hydrogen gas already squeezed tight, like a soda bottle under pressure. Usually, hydrogen comes out 'loose' and needs expensive extra machinery to compress it for storage. This tech builds that pressure directly into the process, making it cheaper and faster to get fuel ready for use.
Standard hydrogen production requires expensive, energy-heavy compression stages after electrolysis to reach storage pressures. Additionally, high capital costs due to critical raw materials hinder large-scale adoption.
A 50 kW high-pressure PEM electrolyser and reinforced Aquivion® membranes capable of operating at 90-120 °C and 200 bar.
If you are a refueling station operator dealing with high electricity costs for gas compression — this project developed a PEM electrolyser that produces hydrogen at 200 bar. This reduces the need for downstream compression and keeps energy consumption below 50 kWh/kg H2.
If you are a chemical plant dealing with high capital costs for hydrogen plants — this project developed cheap coated bipolar plates and minimized critical raw materials. This allows for a high production rate with an efficiency of about 80% vs. HHV.
If you are a fueling provider dealing with the need for rapid, high-volume hydrogen supply — this project developed a 50 kW nominal capacity system. It can produce about 24 kg of H2 per day directly at high pressure in an industrial environment.
It reduces CAPEX by using cheap coated bipolar plates and minimizing critical raw materials, and reduces OPEX by producing hydrogen at 200 bar, which saves energy usually spent on downstream compression.
The project validates the technology using a high-pressure electrolyser with a 50 kW nominal capacity, producing approximately 24 kg of H2 per day.
Based on available project data, specific licensing terms are not provided, but the consortium includes membrane, catalyst, and MEA suppliers who hold the underlying material IP.
The system aims for an efficiency of about 80% vs. HHV, with nominal energy consumption kept under 50 kWh/kg H2.
The project period runs from 2023-02-01 to 2027-01-31, suggesting the technology will reach its final validation phase by early 2027.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven with a 91% industry ratio, consisting of 10 industrial partners and 1 research entity. With 11 partners across 5 countries (DE, DK, FR, IT, UK), the group covers the entire value chain: membrane/catalyst suppliers, MEA developers, electrolyser manufacturers, and end-users. This structure indicates a strong push toward commercialization rather than pure academic research.
Contact the National Research Council (CNR) of Italy
Contact us to connect with the ADVANCEPEM industrial partners for licensing high-pressure PEM technology.
