Asahi Kasei/De Nora collaborate on electrolysers for hydrogen production

Japanese technology company Asahi Kasei has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with De Nora, an Italian multinational company, leader in sustainable technologies, and a manufacturer of electrolyzer cells, small scale electrolyzers, and other components for the production of green hydrogen through water electrolysis. The MOU concerns the joint development, study, evaluation, and sale of small-scale pressurised alkaline water electrolyzers.

De Nora possesses technical expertise and knowledge in high-performance electrode catalysts for the electrochemical field, and is a leading company in the development, manufacture, and sale of electrodes and electrolyzers for several industrial electrochemical processes. This MOU was signed with the aim of leveraging the long-standing experience and know-how of both companies in the chlor-alkali electrolysis field to establish a close cooperation framework for development, production, and sales/support in the water electrolysis field.

Demand for green hydrogen produced by water electrolysis as a clean energy alternative to fossil fuels is growing. According to the Hydrogen Council, the global installed capacity of water electrolyzers is forecasted to expand rapidly to a cumulative total of approximately 300 GW by 2030.

Under such circumstances, an increasing number of companies are newly entering the water electrolysis field. In particular, there is growing demand for compact production systems with reduced costs, installation space, and delivery time serving several industrial sectors, including mobility.

To meet this growing demand for smaller hydrogen production systems, Asahi Kasei has now entered into a collaboration with De Nora, covering technical support, sales, operation, and after-sales service for small-scale containerised electrolysers in the range of 1 to 7.5 MW. By doing so, Asahi Kasei expands its portfolio into the range of small-scale containerised pressurised electrolysers, covering the emerging diversified needs of customers across the entire hydrogen market.

Asahi Kasei’s alkaline-water electrolysis business is based on nearly five decades of experience of construction, supply, and long-term operation of chlor-alkali electrolysers worldwide. This enables the company to provide support to customers who lack adequate experience in electrolysis technology.

Asahi Kasei entered the partnership with De Nora in anticipation of synergies with De Nora’s knowledge of electrodes for electrolysis and small sized pressurised electrolysers for hydrogen production.

This collaboration is another important cornerstone of Asahi Kasei’s holistic business model to become a one-stop solution provider in the field of electrolysis, it adds. This model comprises technological development capabilities for membranes, electrodes, electrolytic cells, and other components involved in the electrolysis process. Going beyond mere technical expertise, it also includes supply chain construction, as well as operation technology and know-how to achieve large-scale production, monitoring technology to ensure long-term plant operability and reliability, as well as maintenance and support systems.

Kenji Takeda, Executive Officer of Asahi Kasei responsible for Business Development of its Green Solution Project, comments: “The efforts of both companies to deploy the new water electrolysis systems will lower the hurdle for customers to adopt water electrolysis and contribute broadly to the development of the hydrogen market. We believe that the combination of De Nora’s technological expertise and experience as a world leader in the field of electrolysis for many years, together with Asahi Kasei’s customer experience-oriented business model cultivated through chlor-alkali electrolysis, will play an important role in the development and deployment of this system in the addressable markets.”

De Nora’s CEO Paolo Dellachà commented: “We are proud to announce the commencement of a collaboration with Asahi Kasei to develop small-scale electrolysers for green hydrogen generation, marking a significant step towards sustainable energy solutions. This partnership leverages the strengths of two leading companies in a strategic field, addressing the global market’s growing demand for small-scale hydrogen production systems through our combined expertise. The strategic partnership with Asahi Kasei will enable De Nora to further develop its small scale containerised electrolyser technology for hydrogen production, designed to supply hydrogen to various applications, including mobility, metallurgy, and other hard-to-abate sectors. It effectively supports decentralised hydrogen production in areas identified as ‘Hydrogen Valleys,’ progressively eliminating the dependency on fossil fuels. In addition this collaboration will accelerate the ramp-up of production at our Italian Gigafactory, our newest electrolyser manufacturing hub currently under construction.”