Air Liquide, a worldwide leader in hydrogen energy, shared what China can do to accelerate its development of the hydrogen industry:

• Further develop policies to incentivize low-carbon solutions and green hydrogen certification.
• Further advocacy and RCD (Regulations, Codes & Standards) needed, including publicity, compliance, and safety regulations
• A need to scale up – current hydrogen energy projects need expansion. A rapid scaling-up of projects is required to meet China’s 2060 targets and reduce costs. This also includes facing challenges tackling P2X (Power to X) – ie. turning electricity into carbon-neutral synthetic fuels, such as electrolysis to hydrogen
• Integration of hydrogen energy industry in the value chain needs to be prioritized by government agencies.
• A need to develop new applications for H2, and furthering the national emissions trading scheme, including hard-to-decarbonize industries (with carbon tax as an option) to promote decarbonization efforts and make low-carbon projects competitive. This could be applied across industrial parks, airports, ports, etc.
• A greater openness and transparency in the current renewable energy market.

Arkema shared an update on a new breakthrough material applicable to hydrogen storage cylinders:

• A newly-created material, PA11, is made from castor oil and possesses excellent properties: rigidity, barrier properties, low density, and hygroscopicity. Hydrogen storage containers require materials with low permeation, excellent low-temperature performance, and low risk of foaming – all of which PA11 excels in.

Dynamic Hydrogen, a CM Venture portfolio startup,  shared its breakthrough tech which offers significant cost reduction potential in hydrogen production via “PEM Electrolyzer Membrane Electrodes with Low-Iridium Catalysts”. Heraeus, a CM Venture LP, also shared how recycling and thrifting precious metals are key to keep global hydrogen production sustainable. Cummins Inc. also shared a presentation on ‘Water Electrolyzer Status and Development Trend’, with insights on advances on Cummins PEM electrolyzer technology and cost-reduction targets. In summary:

• Precious metals are key for hydrogen production. Iridium is used in electrolysis to produce hydrogen, but is a scarce and precious metal with a global annual output of just 10 tons.
• The cost of PEM electrolyzer membrane electrodes is about 1,600 yuan/kW, with Iridium catalysts making more than half of the cost.
• Cost reduction and promotion of PEM electrolyzers allow a combination of low-iridium technology catalysts and iridium recycling to maximize iridium resources.

Collaboratively, the challenges in developing low-Iridium PEM Electrolyzer Catalysts & Membrane Electrodes are clear:

• Existing Ir (Ru) based precious metal oxygen-evolution catalysts cannot achieve high activity and stability at the same time.
• At high current densities, electron conduction and gas-liquid mass transfer in the catalytic layer of membrane electrodes are hindered, making efficient catalytic performance challenging.
• Limited understanding of the oxygen evolution reaction mechanism and structural fissure mechanisms in operating conditions

Cummins Inc. also projected the cost reduction and reliability of PEM Electrolyzers outlook:

• A 30% cost reduction is possible in the next 3 years, with a 70% reduction within 5 years. • Strategies include developing low-cost membranes and catalyst solutions, changing bipolar plates (from etching to stamping), and switching plating (from electroplating to PVD), among others.
• Currently, catalysts are not the main factor limiting lifespan; issues like membrane perforation are more critical.
• Improving the reliability of PEM electrolyzers requires enhancing the reliability of the entire supply chain.