At TFP Hydrogen Products we are committed to facilitating the advancement of electrochemical, low carbon technologies which can be used to generate green hydrogen from renewable energy sources.

A key example of this is anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolysis, which is a nascent hydrogen technology with significant potential. AEM electrolysis is also becoming of increased research interest globally, as demonstrated by recent investments from the US DOE. The technology is a type of water electrolysis, like proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis, and provides a means of producing high purity hydrogen from sustainable sources which has potential cost and material advantages.

AEM WATER ELECTROLYSIS

AEM electrolysis offers benefits such as high efficiency and high current density management, with both a reduction in the capital cost of green hydrogen production and the elimination of scalability limitations associated with similar technologies. This can be achieved using low-cost non-platinum group catalysts and non-critical raw materials. However, there is a lot of development still required in order to realise these cost and scalability benefits and make AEM electrolysis an essential player in the goal to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions in the EU by 2050.

The ANIONE Project has provided the means to progress this and TFP Hydrogen have collaborated with a consortium of 7 partners from different EU and associated countries to ensure its success.

THE ANIONE PROJECT

The ANIONE project is a research and innovation project (under the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking) focused on developing high-performance, cost-effective, and durable materials to be used in an anion exchange membrane (AEM) for water electrolysis technology.

The technology combines the advantages of proton exchange membrane and liquid electrolyte alkaline technologies and aims to validate  a 2 kW AEM electrolyser with a hydrogen production rate of approximately 0.4 Nm3/h. To achieve this, the project has developed innovative reinforced anion exchange membranes in conjunction with non-critical raw material electrocatalysts with high surface areas and membrane-electrode assemblies. Cost-effective stack hardware materials and novel stack designs has also contributed to decreasing the capital costs of these systems.

HYDROGEN FOR A GREENER FUTURE

The ANIONE technology enables for a scalable, efficient and low-cost production of “green” hydrogen from a variety of renewable energy sources. In the future, the wide-scale production of hydrogen will enable large-scale applications in grid balancing markets, in power-to-gas storage systems, and in the sustainable transport and mobility sector. With its developments, the ANIONE project will contribute to the roadmap addressing the achievement of a wide scale decentralised hydrogen production infrastructure with the long-term goal to reach net zero CO2 emissions in EU by 2050.

The project is coordinated by Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche ITAE-CNR and other partners include Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS, HydroLite, IRD Fuel Cells A/S IRD, Hydrogenics Europe NV HYE and Uniresearch BV UNR along with TFP Hydrogen. The partners together brought a wealth of experience in the development and fabrication of catalysts, membranes, ionomers, MEAs and polymers as well as water electrolyser stack and system development.

TFP HYDROGEN’S CONTRIBUTION

At TFP Hydrogen Products we are experts in electrochemical materials and have extensive experience in catalyst development and scaling-up their production. Led by Dr Srijita Nundy TFP Hydrogen’s Innovation Project Lead together with Materials Scientists Joe Tripp and Faria Rafique, we have used our expertise and experience in stack design to contribute to the reduction in the capital costs associated with catalysts, whilst still ensuring the quality and durability of the materials through comprehensive testing.

During the project our scientists focused on the investigation of Nickel based oxides as a catalyst to improve the hydrogen and oxygen evolution (HER and OER) on the bipolar plates, as well as testing and improving the plates’ resistance to corrosion. We have also worked in close collaboration with ITAE-CNR to develop high surface area Nickel based electrocatalysts, advocating non-critical raw materials to reduce cost and improve scalability.

TFP Hydrogen also led the technology exploitation part of the project, as we are ideally placed to identify the real needs for this technology to achieve a wide-scale deployment of hydrogen production and storage systems in combination with renewable power sources, for grid-balancing service and for hydrogen refuelling stations.

IN SUMMARY

  • AEM water electrolysis shows significant potential in providing a cheaper, efficient means of harnessing the power from renewable energy sources and storing this as high purity hydrogen for use as a fuel source.
  • The ANIONE project has provided the means to progress this potential, with its focus on developing high-performance, cost-effective, and durable anion exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolysis technology.
  • TFP Hydrogen is at the forefront of this and will continue to develop and manufacture electrocatalytic materials as the water electrolysis industry expands into AEM systems.