UK electrolyser developers win funding to scale technology

The UK's Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC) has announced the winning developers of the 2024 Electrolyser funding competition.

Three UK electrolyser developers were selected as winners of £500,000 ($657,000) in funding to accelerate the development of their technology.

The competition aims to develop cost-effective, efficient electrolyser prototypes with the goal to pilot, as well as scale the Scottish supply chain and establish an export market.

The winners are:

• Clyde Hydrogen Systems for its decoupled electrolysis technology. Hydrogen and oxygen are produced separately at different times and rates, enhancing safety and reducing costs. The technology produces high-pressure hydrogen without mechanical compression and is highly compatible with intermittent renewable energy sources as it can safely produce gas steams even at extremely low power inputs.
• Aqsorption Ltd’s high-pressure membraneless electrolyser technology. The system is designed to be more efficient and operate at higher pressures than other technologies, with reduced maintenance costs. The membraneless design reduces reliance on expensive rare earth minerals. The system efficiency will be boosted even further by recapturing kinetic energy from the high-pressure oxygen output.
• Latent Drive’s SeaStack technology is an innovative direct seawater-to-hydrogen electrolyser with a unique cell design to exploit the properties of seawater, eliminating the need for desalination and purification of the feed water. This means that SeaStack can move hydrogen production offshore for close coupling to the energy supply at windfarms, and will capture more wind energy at a lower cost - reducing the cost of green hydrogen.

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The competition forms part of the NZTC Energy Hubs project, one of seven within NZTC’s Net Zero Technology Transition Programme (NZTTP) which was awarded £16.7 million ($21.9 million) from the Scottish Government’s Energy Transition Fund and is match-funded by the industry.

According to Darren Gee, ETF programme manager, NZTC, phase one of the Energy Hubs projects identified the need to boost electrolyser operation and efficiency. This has led to phase two of the initiative which is funding the projects with the most promise.

Said Gee in a statement: “Electrolyser technology is an exciting sector right now, and the technological breakthroughs of today will pave the way for the green energy solutions of tomorrow.

"Together with key industry partners, we identified three groundbreaking UK technologies from a remarkably strong field of applicants. These technologies are scalable and have the potential to significantly push the boundaries of hydrogen production.

"By supporting technologies at an early stage of their development, we have an opportunity to drive this technology forwards and make a direct impact on the future of green hydrogen production in Scotland.”