Commercial H2 production begins at Antwerp-Bruges

Power to Hydrogen (P2H2), a developer of anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyser systems, has begun commercial green hydrogen production at the NextGen District of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.

The 500kW system comprises two 250kW stacks and was delivered to the site in August. P2H2 says the deployment represents the first commercial use of 250kW AEM stacks, which are more than 10 times larger than those typically used in conventional AEM systems.

“Bringing this system online in one of Europe’s most demanding industrial environments is how we answer the scepticism around AEM: not with claims, but with hardware on the ground,” said Paul Matter, chief executive of Power to Hydrogen.

The system will initially produce up to 70 tonnes of green hydrogen annually for regional gas supplier Holthausen and other customers. Most output is expected to serve mobility applications, with industrial uses also being considered.

The Antwerp installation is designed to respond to electricity prices, which represent the largest cost in green hydrogen production. Its 10–100% operating range allows the system to follow Belgium’s day-ahead electricity market, increasing production when renewable power is cheaper and reducing output when prices rise.

READ MORE: Antwerp-Bruges takes key hydrogen step

Johan Klaps, president of the Board of Directors at Port of Antwerp-Bruges, said the project demonstrated how the NextGen District could support clean technologies under industrial conditions. “Power to Hydrogen bringing a commercial-scale electrolyser online here is exactly the kind of milestone this environment was built to enable,” he said.

P2H2 says its hybrid AEM-alkaline design uses low-cost, iridium-free catalysts and a simplified balance of plant. The company says its approach also supports 30-bar hydrogen output while reducing hydrogen crossover and downstream compression requirements.

The company is preparing data from Antwerp to support larger, multi-megawatt platforms. A second 500kW commercial system for the EU-funded PYROCO2 project is due to be delivered to Norwegian research institute SINTEF later this year.

The Antwerp project is partly supported by the European Regional Development Fund and VLAIO.