P2H2 News

COLUMBUS, Ohio April 2, 2020 – Welcome to the first edition of P2H2 News, a quarterly update about progress at, aka P2H2. As the world reels from the COVID-19 pandemic, our hope is that this newsletter is a welcome reprieve that shows despite the disruptions we continue to make progress towards our goal of radically improving access to and affordability of green hydrogen, a cornerstone of our collective clean energy future.

“Hydrogen Now!” is what I asserted in a recent Gastech Insights article, and I mean it. In many ways the hydrogen economy is ready to pop, but adoption is constrained by the cost of producing (green) hydrogen from renewable resources. This is where P2H2 is focusing efforts. Our Clean Energy Bridge™ can (and will) produce cheaper green hydrogen with:

• Low cost equipment – 20-40% less than equivalent PEM systems
• High pressure operation – eliminating costly, maintenance intensive compression
• Reversibility – enabling power production and improving asset utilization

• Current Density – Elevated electrolysis performance to 800 mA/cm² (at 1.8 V), 2X higher than liquid alkaline and competitive with pricier PEM electrolysis.
• Roundtrip Efficiency – Reached 53% RTE (on voltage basis), which is respectable for long-term energy storage and compares favorably with competing approaches, including lithium ion batteries that are only 60% efficient for long-duration storage and costs 10X more than CEB for incremental capacity.
• Simplified System – Demonstrated operation (>50% round-trip efficiency) with dead-ended, self-generated gases, validating commercial systems can work with only a liquid pump, and no other moving parts.
• Low Cost – Preliminary bottom-up cost analysis based on shows significant cost advantage for CEB over PEM electrolyzers; at volumes over ~25 units/year, CEB price (with 50% margin) is less than PEM cost (no margin).

• Renewable Energy – Pairing CEB with utility-scale renewables is a billion-dollar opportunity. While this is still a few years out, P2H2 began exploring the potential of combining CEB and offshore wind turbines with Shell, WindSTAR Center at University of Massachusetts-Lowell and others; this team applied for Phase I Department of Energy (DOE) SBIR.
• On-site Hydrogen – Through extensive customer discovery, during participation in H2Refuel [link] accelerator, we discovered an unmet market need for cost effective on-site hydrogen generation. Hydrogen is needed for fleet vehicles such as fuel cell lift trucks at distribution centers; financial modeling for this case indicates that CEB offers 2X higher return on assets (ROA) compared to industry leading alkaline electrolyzers.
• Space – With partners including Lockheed Martin and support from NASA, P2H2 is applying CEB technology to both store power and produce hydrogen and oxygen from lunar water. P2H2 sought additional support from NASA via an SBIR Phase II and other programs (ACO and Tipping Point).
• Military – Due to operational advantages they offer, hydrogen and microgrids are hot topics in military circles. During the past quarter, P2H2 sought Army and Air Force support for Tactical Energy Hub, a militarized version of CEB.[PM3] 

• Financing – Pitched numerous early stage investors and other potential backers. Generated good deal of interest but given the current situation, we decided delay seed round until summer.
• Partnerships – In addition to the commercial relationships described in the Market section, P2H2 has partnered with Brite Energy Innovators, Ohio’s only energy focused entrepreneurial support organization.
• Facilities – To date, P2H2 has been operating out of (sister company) pH Matter offices in Columbus, Ohio, but recently contracted 4,000 sq.ft. with both offices and laboratory space. We expect to move to the new spot, which is only a few doors down, in June.