Clean Power Hydrogen (CPH2) launches membraneless electrolyzers with cryogenic systems to separate hydrogen and oxygen. It produces them in the UK and partners with other companies for production in Germany and New Zealand. It says it expects a combined production capacity of 4 GW by 2030.
CPH2 launches a membraneless electrolyzer that will reportedly compete with proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis in terms of efficiency and costs.
“Our pile is very easy: plain stainless steel, on stainless steel,” said Jon Duffy, CEO of CPH2 pv magazineadding that the technology is easy to scale.
The system mixes drinking water with hydroxide ions (electrolytes) to the chimney, where a chemical reaction takes place, creating mixed hydrogen and oxygen gas.
The wet gas enters the dryers, where desiccant removes the water from the mixed gas stream. The gas then continues its journey to the cryogen for separation. The oxygen liquefies at about -200 C, leaving pure hydrogen as a gas and pure oxygen as a liquid.
“The cold hydrogen gas, the liquid oxygen and the incoming mixed gas are Than passed through a patented three-flow heat exchanger. As the oxygen regasifies and the hydrogen leaves as a gas, it pre-cools the incoming mixed gas,” says Duffy. “By the time the mixed gas reaches the bottom of the heat exchanger, the oxygen is already liquid.”
According to Duffy, the system is safe, “perhaps even safer” than PEM electrolyzers.
“The electrolysers produce a mixture of gas and oxygenDuffy said pv magazine. “If you ensure that there is no source of ignition… there is even less risk than PEM electrolysis, because membrane degradation often goes unnoticed and is risky.”
The new electrolyzer uses less energy in the stack than PEM electrolysis because it does not require electrons to be forced through membranes. However, more power is still required for the cryogenic separation process. No critical raw materials are used. Even more than PEM, dryers and a low temperature system are needed.
“The cryogenic system is actually nothing more than a vacuum cooled by liquid nitrogen. All the extra parts are pretty standard parts,” said Duffy.
CPH2 has already installed several small test units at customers. It is now accelerating its testing in several regions.
“We have a 0.5 MW system to be tested … we hope to have megawatt systems at customer sites end of this year, beginning of next yearDuffy said. “We are in the final testing phase. If customers ordered our electrolysers, they would be delivered within twelve to fifteen months.”
The company owns the patent and intellectual property and works together with other companies to produce and commercialize the new system.
“We can license our technology and assemble electrolyzers ourselves at the same timeDuffy said. “By 2030, we would reach 1 GW of production capacity for ourselves, and 3 GW from our licensed partners.”
CPH2 has signed agreements with Kenera Energy Solution, a subsidiary of a Scottish-German company.
“They have a large production base in Germany, And she will start production of the electrolyzers next year. We have also signed a partnership with New Zealand’s Fabrum, which supplies us with the cryogenic system and is already producing it this year for into the markets Australia and New ZealandDuffy said. “We will also assemble and deliver at the end of this year. We are also looking for a new location, most likely in Northern Ireland, to increase production.”
If the company proves its business model works in Germany and New Zealand, it will copy and paste the blueprint into other markets.
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