Electrolysis is a promising option for carbon-free hydrogen production from renewable and nuclear resources. Electrolysis is the process of using electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. This reaction takes place in a unit called an electrolyzer. Electrolyzers can range in size from small, appliance-size equipment that is well-suited for small-scale distributed hydrogen production to large-scale, central production facilities that could be tied directly to renewable or other non-greenhouse-gas-emitting forms of electricity production.
Major Players Operating in Hydrogen Electrolysers Industry:
- AREVA H2Gen
- Asahi Kasei Corp.
- Enapter Srl
- Giner Inc.
- Hitachi Zosen Corp.
- Hydrogenics Corp.
- ITM Power Plc
- McPhy Energy SA
- Nel ASA
- Siemens AG
How Does it Work?
Like fuel cells, electrolyzers consist of an anode and a cathode separated by an electrolyte. Different electrolyzers function in different ways, mainly due to the different type of electrolyte material involved and the ionic species it conducts.
Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Electrolyzers
In a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzer, the electrolyte is a solid specialty plastic material.
Water reacts at the anode to form oxygen and positively charged hydrogen ions (protons).
The electrons flow through an external circuit and the hydrogen ions selectively move across the PEM to the cathode.
At the cathode, hydrogen ions combine with electrons from the external circuit to form hydrogen gas. Anode Reaction: 2H2O → O2 + 4H+ + 4e- Cathode Reaction: 4H+ + 4e- → 2H2
