(Invited) Recent Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) Electrolysis Research Advances in the Hydrogen from Next-Generation Electrolyzers of Water (H2NEW) Consortium
Authors: Myers Deborah J. , Pivovar Bryan S. , Mukundan Rangachary , Alia Shaun M , Bender Guido , Mauger Scott A , Komini Babu Siddharth , Serov Alexey , Badgett Alex , Ahluwalia Rajesh 
Published: September 2023

The H2NEW consortium is a Department of Energy (DOE)-Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Office (HFTO) funded effort with a vision to enable $2/kg hydrogen production by 2025 through large-scale production of hydrogen by either low-temperature electrolysis (LTE) or high-temperature electrolysis (HTE). The H2NEW consortia was established in October 2020 and has seen a recent increase in emphasis and expansion of scope with the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the focus on a Clean Hydrogen Electrolysis Program, a $1B commitment over 5 years from the US government. This has resulted in a series of workshops, supported by members of H2NEW, on topics relevant to electrolysis including liquid alkaline electrolysis,[1] high temperature electrolysis,[2] and manufacturing and advanced materials for polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyzers.[3]

H2NEW focuses on better understanding the cost, performance, and durability tradeoffs of electrolysis systems through an increased understanding of the factors that contribute to these metrics. This includes the impact of operating conditions, materials selection, and component design and integration. Techno-economic and system analysis help provide guidance for the primary components of interest based on cost and trade-offs associated with electricity prices as they relate to hydrogen levelized costs. The consortium has a focus on durability without compromising efficiency while dramatically reducing costs.

While the efforts of H2NEW have historically covered polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) and oxide ion conducting solid oxide electrolysis (SOEC), recently these efforts have expanded to also include liquid alkaline electrolysis. An overview of the scope of H2NEW and analysis efforts that relate to all electrolysis technologies will be highlighted in this talk, but a focus will be placed on scientific advances made in PEM technology. For example, H2NEW has made significant progress in the areas of anode stability including investigations of operating strategies and Ir stability under various operating conditions; quantification of performance metrics including hydrogen crossover under operation; processing of inks and electrodes; and development and characterization of porous transport layers. These topics and highlights of research advances will be presented.

Acknowledgements

This presentation is a summary of the research efforts of numerous H2NEW researchers. See h2new.energy.gov for a comprehensive list of the researchers contributing to this work. This research is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office under the auspices of the Electrocatalysis Consortium (ElectroCat). Argonne National Laboratory is managed for the U.S Department of Energy by the University of Chicago Argonne, LLC, also under contract DE-AC-02-06CH11357.

References

energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/advanced-liquid-alkaline-electrolysis-experts-meeting

energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/us-department-energy-high-temperature-electrolysis-hte-manufacturing-workshop

energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/h2-amp-hydrogen-shot-workshop-advanced-materials-pem-electrolyzers