The Port of Antwerp’s NextGen Demonstration District is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at transforming the port into a hub of sustainable industry and innovation. Located in one of Europe’s largest and most strategically important ports, this district is dedicated to fostering the development of circular economy practices and renewable energy technologies, positioning Antwerp as a leader in the transition to a low-carbon future.

Power to Hydrogen and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges have agreed to install the world’s first industrial scale AEM electrolysis stack at the Port. The Port is providing funding to prepare the site for the installation of P2H2’s technology. Meanwhile, P2H2’s commercial partners from the Free Electrons pilot are providing the CAPEX for the AEM electrolyzer build. The hydrogen will be used to decarbonize existing industrial operations at the port and provide clean hydrogen for refueling operations in the area. More importantly, the project will serve as a demonstration to the hydrogen economy that AEM electrolyzers are ready for deployment at the industrial scale. To date, AEM electrolyzers have only been deployed in small-scale use cases. 

(CEO, Paul Matter, visiting the project site)

The project is already well underway and making progress. Each party has reached a successful Final Investment Decision (FID) to realize the project. Permits have been approved for the initial site preparation work, and the installation location is being prepared for the arrival of the electrolyzer. Final environmental permits are now in progress to finalize each detail for the site layout.  The P2H2 team has been traveling back and forth between its Columbus, Ohio headquarters and the site location in Antwerp, Belgium to push forward the different components of the project. P2H2 has also recently established a European base of operations in Antwerp to support project execution and develop further relationships with the European hydrogen value chain. Thank you to the city of Antwerp for the warm welcome!

The Free Electrons utility innovation program is a global initiative designed to accelerate the development and integration of cutting-edge technologies within the energy sector. Launched in 2017, the program brings together a network of forward-thinking utilities, energy startups, and industry experts to collaborate on innovative solutions that address the challenges of the modern energy landscape.

In the 2022 cohort of Free Electrons, the six utility partners, American Electric Power, CLP, EDP, E.ON, ESB, and Origen Energy, attracted over 700 applications worldwide. After an initial proposal and interview process, this applicant group was reduced to just 15 finalists with energy solutions that could have a transformative impact on the electricity landscape. Each startup underwent an extensive partnership development process over four months, including in-person meetings in Chicago, USA, and São Paulo, Brazil. After evaluating all 700 startups across the globe, the utility partners decided Power to Hydrogen had the innovation that provided the most transformation potential for the future of utilities. The opportunity to unleash the development of wind and solar electricity by freeing these projects from grid constraints stood out to the utilities. By the end of the program, the utilities decided to name Power to Hydrogen the winner of the Free Electrons 2022 Grand Challenge. Along with this distinction, the utilities awarded P2H2 $200,000.

Representatives from E.ON, AEP, P2H2, ESB, and EDP (In Order)

After winning the grand prize, the partners began working towards a concrete pilot opportunity with Power to Hydrogen’s technology. The partners settled on a plan to test P2H2’s demonstration-scale electrolyzer stack and balance of plant at American Electric Power’s facilities in Columbus, Ohio. The utilities aimed to demonstrate that the electrolyzer could operate durably for over 1,000+ hours when operating with variable solar and wind power profiles. To meet this goal, E.ON provided data from existing solar assets, and ESB provided data from existing wind assets to design a load profile matching existing wind and solar farms for the companies.

The utility partners hired the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to administer the testing. EPRI helped develop the test plan, oversee data collection, and review all performance results. The pilot began operating in Q3 2023 and completed its key testing criteria before the end of 2023. The results confirmed a breakthrough in durability for AEM electrolyzers. While achieving all key performance criteria, including efficiency, ramp up/down, and cold start time, the electrolyzer also demonstrated PEM and alkaline level degradation rates when tied to variable wind and solar profiles. The results met each performance target and triggered phase II of the project to demonstrate the world’s first industrial-scale AEM electrolysis stack. Now, P2H2 and the utilities are working to install the scaled-up AEM electrolysis technology at the Port of Antwerp in Belgium. You can learn more about phase II of this pilot here.

In 2022, Enel Green Power (EGP) set out to find the most innovative green hydrogen technology in the world. This search was part of EGP’s Nexthy Booster program, aimed at accelerating the transition to a hydrogen-based economy. This project is strategically designed to explore integrating renewable energy sources with hydrogen production, positioning Enel Green Power at the forefront of sustainable energy innovation. It underscores the company’s strategic vision of creating a diversified energy portfolio that includes hydrogen as a key component. By pioneering such projects, Enel Green Power is not only advancing the hydrogen economy but also supporting global efforts to achieve carbon neutrality and mitigate climate change.

After commencing a global call for innovations and reviewing applications from around the world, EGP chose Power to Hydrogen as the winner of their Green Hydrogen Challenge. The winner of their competition was awarded a pilot project funded by EGP to test the promising technology. The pilot’s end goal was to qualify the new technology for use in commercial projects with Enel Green Power.

For the pilot project, Enel Green Power agreed to test Power to Hydrogen’s demonstration AEM electrolysis stack and system. EGP hired a third-party laboratory to administer the testing and the Polytechnic University of Torino to develop a rigorous test plan to evaluate the technology under commercial operating conditions. As part of the program, the three organizations met together for a week at the third-party laboratory to collaborate and gain a deeper understanding of the system together. You can watch the video below to learn more about the visit and goals of the pilot project. 

After months of successful testing, the companies are now collaborating to scope out larger green hydrogen projects. Enel is pushing forward green hydrogen projects across the globe with notable announcements of projects underway in the Americas and Europe. The green hydrogen for these projects is being used in a variety of use cases, including decarbonizing existing petrochemical refinery operations and synthesizing innovative new electrofuels for sustainable aviation purposes. Both companies are looking forward to announcing larger green hydrogen projects under development in the coming years.