Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers

Clean, sustainable and economic hydrogen production is currently a crucial challenge, as hydrogen is the major energy vector capable of contributing to overcoming our fossil fuel dependence. Electrolysis is one of the clean technologies being considered to produce green dihydrogen, but the price of electricity needed for the water splitting still impedes its large-scale development. The most economically viable way to produce hydrogen would be to couple its production with renewable and intermittent energy sources such as wind turbines or solar panels during production peaks. Among electrolysis technologies, PEMWE is the only one showing sufficiently fast transient phenomena to be coupled with intermittent energy production devices and hence is the most promising technology regarding the implementation of the Hydrogen economy.

The membrane-electrode assembly, heart of the electrolysis cell is presented in the side Figure. Water is split at the anode into O2, protons and electrons; protons are transported through the electrolyte and electrons flow through an external circuit. At the cathode protons and electrons recombine to form H2. Catalysts layers play a key and complex role in PEM technology since they are the location of catalytic reactions and allow: i) protons transport between the reactions sites and the membrane, ii) water and gases transport between reactions sites and water and gases outlets, and iii) ensure electrons transport between reactions sites and current collectors. 

HYKALIN project : Heterofunctional electrocatalysts for the alkaline HER in Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysers