H2 Production by Water Electrolysis

Within the portfolio of energy storage technologies, hydrogen is widely recognized as a promising option for storing large quantities of renewable electricity over longer periods.

Additionally, it is predicted to also be the energy vector for a more sustainable mobility and a renewable feedstock for a variety of chemical productions, potentially becoming a central pillar for promoting energy transition to sustainable sources and world economy decarbonization.

The most established technology option for producing hydrogen from electrical power sources is water electrolysis (WE). With a 100% renewable energy power mix, water electrolysis can produce GREEN HYDROGEN with zero CO₂ emissions.

Water Electrolysis Technologies

Three main electrolyzer technologies are used or being developed today: Alkaline (AWE) is well established and has been used in industry for nearly a century, proton exchange membrane (PEMWE) is commercially available today, and solid oxide (SOWE) is still in the development phase.

De Nora has, in recent years, maximized AWE operating current density (CD) and reduced its overall power consumption, pushing this technology toward PEMWE performances, but guaranteeing the overall lower CAPEX investment.

AWE electrolyzers equipped with the electrodic De Nora package inside are able, today, to provide the lower Total Cost of Hydrogen (TCH) for the Power to Hydrogen installation. An alternative to the De Nora “package” could supply, eventually, the active electrodes only, utilizing customers' proprietary drawings and therefore offering easy installation inside the existing electrolysis cells / stacks.

To enable the fuel cell technology and as an important basic chemical feedstock, production of hydrogen has become of tantamount importance.  The most established technology option for producing hydrogen from electrical power sources is water electrolysis. With a 100% renewable energy power mix, water electrolysis can produce GREEN HYDROGEN with zero CO2 emissions.  De Nora has long recognized the importance of this technology and made the creation of efficient and lower power consumption electrodes and packages the most important R&D project within the company.

De Nora has partnered with both suppliers and well-known customers such as McPhy and Thyssenkrupp Nucera on both large and small plants that will benefit the world and make the hydrogen economy a reality.