Energy optimisation in H₂ production
Electricity consumption dominates the cost of green hydrogen production: 70% to 90% of OPEX. Reducing cell voltage by 0.1 V equates to roughly 5% less electricity consumed.
Improvement levers
- High-activity catalysts: lower overpotential without penalising durability.
- Separator optimisation: low-ohmic-resistance diaphragms.
- Flow-field design: efficient gas evacuation to minimise blockage.
- Optimal temperature: operating at 75-85 °C maximises conductivity without accelerating degradation.
The best electrode is not always the cheapest: at 5,000 hours of operation, a 50 mV difference translates into thousands of euros saved per MW installed.
