Renewable hydrogen is becoming an increasingly important component of the transition away from fossil fuel use and towads reduction in carbon dioxide production.  Hydrogen is the intermediary between primary energy sources and end products in many chemical processes such as ammonia generation, refining, and biogas processing, and is currently mainly produced by reforming of natural gas.  Hydrogen from electrolysis can both make a strong environmental impact on these industries and also improve utilization of intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar by leveraging otherwise stranded resources.  Because of hydrogen's end use flexibility, electrolysis is a key component of Europe's strategy for energy storage and management of these renewable energy sources on the electrical grid.  Proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis is especially well suited to energy capture because of the dynamic range and ability to quickly ramp up and down from near zero output to full capacity.

PEM electrolysis technology development has lagged behind PEM fuel cells, providing significant opportunities for continued improvements.  Thinner membranes, reduced PGM usage, and improved manufacturing techniques have all demonstrated viability for electrolysis, and have the potential to make higher cost and performance impact.  At the same time, the basic technology is mature and has been scaled to multi-megawatt capacity.  This talk will discuss the challenges in continued scale up, as well as some of recent advancements and impact on cost.  A potential roadmap for next generation technology evolution will also be presented.

There has also been significant interest in alkaline exchange membranes and ionomers (AEMs) for electrolysis applications.  The AEMs are growing in stability, and electrolysis offers an alternative outlet for these materials which has operational advantages vs. the fuel cell.  While electrolysis occurs at higher voltages and higher pressure, there are other operational characteristics which are less challenging than the AEM fuel cell application, such as water management within the membrane and through the cell.  A comparison of traditional liquid alkaline, PEM electrolysis, and the potential for AEM electrolysis will be discussed.