JM, Bekaert, TNO and Schaeffler partner to boost the efficiency of renewable hydrogen production

Johnson Matthey, a global leader in sustainable technologies and Schaeffler, a leading global supplier to the automotive and industrial sectors have partnered with Bekaert, a leading PTL supplier for PEM electrolysers and TNO, a leading independent research institute in the field of hydrogen. The consortium aims to develop cells to be used within electrolysis with the components optimised to work together for a step-change in efficiency. It brings together each company’s leading individual capabilities to drive forward next generation technologies to reduce the levelized cost of hydrogen and improve component efficiency. The shared research programme will run over the next three years.

Renewable hydrogen will play a role in all net zero scenarios and is critical in decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors. Electrolysis is the technology used to produce renewable hydrogen with water and power from renewables and is therefore a key enabling technology for zero emission energy. The IRENA 1.5°C scenario forecasts approximately 5,000 GW of electrolyser capacity in 2050, which will enable sufficient hydrogen to meet 12% of total energy demand globally. But to ensure this happens, technology innovation and accelerated adoption are crucial.

The consortium’s goal is to accelerate Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) technology development, by optimising the most important components of the electrolyser stack. This will ultimately support the development of the next generation of PEM electrolysers, enabling lower electricity consumption, cheaper hydrogen production and smaller footprint. The team will also investigate more efficient use of scarce critical elements and components which offer increased efficiency over today’s electrolysers.

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