Rolls-Royce Sets Foot Into Hydrogen Electrolyser Business

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Rolls Royce has announced its entry into hydrogen production as it is acquiring a 54 per cent stake in Hoeller Electrolyzeris, an electrolysis stack specialist. Rolls Royce will boasts of innovative technology to form the basis of a new range of mtu electrolyzer products from its power systems division.

Hoeller Electrolyzer in Wismar, Germany, is looking at developing a highly efficient polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) stacks under the brand name Prometheus.

According to Rolls Royce, the first mtu electrolyzer using a stack from Hoeller Electrolyzer is already being developed. The company has informed that the facility will be operational in 2023 at the Validation Center in Friedrichshafen revealing how the electrolyzer fits into the overall architecture of a microgrid. The initial customer project is planned for 2024.

Dr. Otto Preiss, COO and CTO, Rolls-Royce Power Systems, stated, “By developing our own mtu electrolyzers and by taking a majority stake in Hoeller Electrolyzers, we are methodically growing our hydrogen portfolio and securing access to this fascinating technology, which is not a pipe dream but has great market potential. This will enable us to supply complete hydrogen solutions and make a significant contribution to protecting the climate.”

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Rolls Royce said that its hydrogen solutions will enable customers to store renewably produced energy in the form of hydrogen for use as and when required, or for further processing or onward sale.

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Hoeller Electrolyzer is among the few specialized expert players in the field of high-efficiency PEM electrolysis stacks. Particularly high efficiency is promised by special surface technologies for the bipolar plates which significantly reduce the use of expensive precious metals platinum and iridium as catalysts, as well as lead to increased output pressure. Hoeller Electrolyzer MD, Stefan Holler, informed, “Our stack is going to produce hydrogen at a price not previously thought possible.”

Rolls Royce claims to have decades of experience and systems expertise that will help it develop a complete electrolyzer system. Its global sales and service network is touted to create new avenues of significant sales worldwide.

Matthias Kramer, CFO and Joint MD, Hoeller Electrolyzer, added, “In Rolls-Royce, not only have we found an important customer for our stacks, we’ve also secured an ideal partner and supporter who shares our vision of putting stacks into full production.”