Eve Hydrogen released 100kw AEM electrolyzer
(Shenzhen, China) Eve Hydrogen, a new energy technology innovator headquartered in Guangdong province, released its 100kw AEM electrolyzer on March 26th, the largest of this kind globally so far.
Eve Hydrogen said the 100kw electrolyzer has a size of 380*480*1200mm and weight 490kg, only one quarter of ALK electrolyzer with same capacity. The company also released some of the key specifications: Production Capacity Dynamic Range 10-120%; H2 output pressure at 16 barg. It works at current density of up to 1A/cm2 and it don’t use any precious metal as catalysts.
Photo: the 100kw AEM electrolyzer
About AEM electrolyzer
The chemistry of AEM electrolyzers is the same as for alkaline electrolyzers – namely, hydroxide (OH–) ions are transported through the membrane. Also similar to alkaline electrolyzers, the reactions at the cathode and anode are catalyzed by nickel electrodes. Nickel is substantially more abundant and cheaper than iridium and platinum, which are both used in PEM electrolyzers. Potassium hydroxide (KOH) concentrations in AEM electrolyzers can be substantially lower (down to 1 wt.%) than in alkaline electrolyzers (typically 20-30 wt.%).
AEM electrolyzers benefit from the compact cell architecture like PEM electrolyzers. The highly acidic environment in PEM electrolyzers means that expensive titanium coatings are required on the bipolar plates. However, in case of AEM electrolyzers, nickel can be used instead. Due to the membrane between the cathode and anode, AEM electrolyzers can operate as flexibly as PEM electrolyzers without significant crossover of H2 and O2 (a potential safety concern with PEM electrolysis).
Although AEM electrolyzers can potentially offer “the best of both worlds” when compared to alkaline electrolyzers and PEM electrolyzers, significant technology development is still required for the technology to become competitive. The current density is another important parameter, which scales inversely with the surface area. The commercially available AEM electrolyzer of Enapter has a current density of 0.2 A/cm2, compared to typical values of 1-2 A/cm2 for PEM electrolyzers.
About Eve Hydrogen Co., Ltd.