Con gran orgullo y satisfacción, el Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoffforschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) y Ecoclean GmbH anunciaron la puesta en marcha del primer electrolizador EcoLyzer P200, desarrollado como parte del proyecto conjunto “EcoLyzer BW”. Este electrolizador modular, con una capacidad de un megavatio, representa un avance significativo en la producción de hidrógeno verde, siendo uno de los primeros sistemas listos para producción en serie.

El proyecto “EcoLyzer BW”, lanzado en 2022 con financiación pública, tenía como objetivo desarrollar una tecnología de electrólisis competitiva a nivel internacional, orientada a la producción en serie de hidrógeno verde. Tras más de tres años de colaboración entre ZSW y Ecoclean, el P200 fue finalmente puesto en marcha, marcando la culminación exitosa del proyecto. “Hoy producimos el primer hidrógeno verde con el P200, un paso crucial en nuestra misión”, comentó Manfred Hermanns, Director de Ventas y Servicios al Cliente de Ecoclean GmbH.

Tecnología altamente escalable sin el uso de materiales críticos

El EcoLyzer se basa en una tecnología de electrólisis alcalina a presión, optimizada durante los últimos diez años por ZSW. A diferencia de otros métodos de electrólisis, este sistema no requiere materiales críticos como metales preciosos o tierras raras, lo que reduce tanto los costos como el impacto ambiental. Además, su diseño modular permite escalar su capacidad de producción de manera eficiente, desde 1 MW hasta 20 MW, adaptándose a diferentes fuentes de energía como el sol, el viento o el agua.

Producción en serie y futuro prometedor

Con la puesta en marcha del P200, Ecoclean ha comenzado a aumentar su capacidad de producción para satisfacer la demanda de este tipo de sistemas. La producción inicial tiene una capacidad de 200 MW anuales, con posibilidad de duplicarse según la evolución del mercado. El diseño modular del EcoLyzer no solo garantiza tiempos de entrega más cortos, sino que también facilita su adaptación a aplicaciones en movilidad, industria y generación de energía local.

El EcoLyzer P200 será enviado a la Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) en Aachen, donde producirá hidrógeno verde para el Departamento de Termodinámica de Sistemas de Conversión de Energía Móvil.

Ecoclean GmbH presentará esta innovadora tecnología en la Hydrogen Expo, que se celebrará en Hamburgo los días 23 y 24 de octubre de 2024 (Stand 4J27), donde se espera un gran interés por parte de actores clave de la industria.

English Version

There was a sense of pride and joy at what had been achieved when the Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoffforschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW, Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg) and Ecoclean GmbH put the first production-ready EcoLyzer electrolyzer into operation on September 19, 2024. The P200, which consists of two modular units and has an output of one megawatt, is based on a modular system concept that the partners developed together as part of the “EcoLyzer BW” joint project. This project was successfully completed with the commissioning.

“We had our first contact with the ZSW and hydrogen around three years ago and today we are producing the first green hydrogen with the P200,” says Manfred Hermanns, Director Sales & Customer Services at Ecoclean GmbH. As part of the collaboration, the partners launched the funded joint project “EcoLyzer BW” at the beginning of 2022. The aim was to develop an internationally competitive electrolysis system for the series production of green hydrogen. The project partners worked closely together to develop a modular concept that enables the cost-efficient construction of plants with a system output of 1 to 20 MW close to the energy producer (sun, wind, water). “The collaboration with the ZSW helped us enormously to develop a product ready for series production and put it into operation in such a short time,” reports Manfred Hermanns. The commissioning of the first P200 with a system output of one megawatt for the production of around 200 Nm³/h of hydrogen on September 19 marked the successful completion of the project. “A big thank you to all the colleagues involved from ZSW and Ecoclean. It was a lot of fun and we will certainly be talking about the next steps soon.”

After the remaining test phase of the EcoLyzer, it will be delivered to the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen, where it will produce green hydrogen for the Chair of Thermodynamics of Mobile Energy Conversion Systems (TME).

Highly scalable technology without the use of critical raw materials

Technologically, the EcoLyzers are based on a system technology for alkaline pressure electrolysis developed and optimized by ZSW over the last ten years. In contrast to other electrolysis processes, this well-proven and robust technology for efficient hydrogen production does not require any resource-critical raw materials such as precious metals and rare earths. In addition, it can be easily scaled up to higher performance classes and is characterized by low-maintenance operation.

Start of series production

Parallel to the development of the electrolysis system, the machine and plant manufacturer has built up production capacities for the series production of electrolysers, which are already available on the market. In the first stage, production is designed for an output of 200 MW per year and can easily be doubled depending on market developments. On the one hand, the modular design enables cost-effective production of the electrolysers with comparatively short delivery times. On the other hand, they can be easily adapted to different applications in the areas of mobility, industry, energy and neighborhood supply for on-site hydrogen production. “The technological and design advantages of the electrolysers appear to meet the requirements of the market. This is reflected in the numerous inquiries and initial projects we are working on,” adds Manfred Hermanns. In addition to supplying and commissioning the low-maintenance EcoLyzers, the company can also take on trades such as water treatment, gas purification and gas compression if required. Ecoclean will be represented at the Hydrogen Expo taking place in Hamburg on October 23 and 24, 2024 (Stand 4J27).