Joint venture announced for the production of electrolyzers.
Sustainably produced hydrogen is seen as a promising technology for decarbonizing large parts of industry. The gas is produced by electrolysis using electricity from renewable energy sources. Siemens Energy and Air Liquide have now announced the formation of a joint venture to produce the equipment.
The Franco-German joint project will be based in Berlin, according to a press release. The production of the electrolysis modules (“stacks”) will also take place in Berlin from the second half of 2023 (we reported). These are to be based on proton exchange membrane electrolysis (PEM). According to Siemens Energy, this technology is very well suited for operation with electricity from renewable sources. Various strategic metals are used in the modules, such as platinum and iridium. The latter is currently considered irreplaceable for PEM electrolysis. Due to the ramp-up of hydrogen production, a high supply risk is already emerging as a result of the low annual production volume, as shown in the projections of the German Raw Materials Agency (DERA).
Photo: iStock/Petmal
