Tokyo Gas and H2U to develop iridium-free PEM electrolysers

The two firms have signed a multi-year joint development agreement with the ambition to reduce proton-exchange-membrane electrolyser costs and protect against supply chain risk

Japan’s Tokyo Gas and California-based startup H2U Technologies have entered a multi-year joint development agreement aimed at developing iridium-free proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) electrolysers. PEM electrolysers are able to ramp up and down in response to fluctuating input, making them well-suited for direct connection to renewable assets. However, they are significantly more expensive than alkaline electrolysers, in part due to the use of platinum group metals (PGM)—iridium in particular—as catalysts. These rare metals present a potential bottleneck for green hydrogen, with consultancy Rystad estimating that PGM usage in electrolysers must fall by 70–80pc to prevent constraints on PEM el