Port of Antwerp-Bruges to Commission First 500 kW AEM Electrolyzer in September

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Power to Hydrogen, an industrial-scale hydrogen electrolyzer manufacturer, has delivered a 500 kW anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzer to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium, marking the first global industrial deployment of this technology at this scale. The complete system consists of 250 kW stack modules.

Installation has already commenced, with commissioning expected in September. Once operational, the project will demonstrate renewable hydrogen production under real operating conditions in a high-throughput industrial port environment.

This deployment represents a critical step in the development of AEM electrolysis technology. The technology is positioned as an alternative to the more mature proton exchange membrane (PEM) technology, particularly as industry seeks to reduce hydrogen production costs and integrate hydrogen production with increasingly fluctuating renewable electricity.

The project marks the first commercial deployment of Power to Hydrogen's M-Class hybrid AEM electrolyzer platform. The platform is designed to be scalable up to 25 MW, suitable for industrial applications, with modular 250 kW stacks serving as the foundation for larger installations.

A key feature of the system is its ability to respond rapidly to changes in renewable electricity availability. According to Power to Hydrogen, its AEM technology can respond to renewable load changes in less than 50 milliseconds, enabling hydrogen production to track fluctuating renewable power generation.

The electrolyzer also operates under pressurized conditions, which reduces downstream hydrogen compression requirements and may simplify the overall balance-of-plant configuration.

The technology does not use the expensive metals required for PEM electrolyzers, instead utilizing more readily available materials such as steel and nickel. According to Power to Hydrogen, this material approach can reduce capital expenditure by up to 65% compared to comparable PEM systems.

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges project aims to provide a replicable configuration for future deployments and obtain third-party validation of the technology. The company anticipates that this real-world demonstration will help reduce technical and commercial risks as it advances toward larger, multi-megawatt projects.