Q&A: Gaining an edge with AEM electrolysers

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As Africa positions itself in the global green hydrogen space, Ruben Furi, Sales Manager at Enapter, a Germany-based green hydrogen technology company, says advanced systems like anion exchange membrane (AEM) technology could offer the continent a practical alternative to conventional approaches. 

• According to Mr Furi, AEM technology combines the efficiency of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) with the cost advantages of alkaline systems, and as such is well suited to Africa’s renewable-rich but price-sensitive markets.

• In an interview, he highlights how flexibility, scalability and production efficiencies could help emerging markets pilot hydrogen projects, build local technical capacity, and expand over time.

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How would you assess Africa’s uptake of green hydrogen technologies so far, especially when it comes to electrolysers?

Ruben Furi: We see Africa as an emerging market with a lot of potential. Renewable energy is widely available, even more so than in Europe, and often cheaper. That makes it a great environment for producing low-cost hydrogen. 

At the same time, Africa’s population is growing, the economy is expanding, and industrial activity is increasing. But CO₂ emissions need to come down. And the only way to achieve that, really, is through green hydrogen. So, you have solar resources, economic growth, the need for decarbonisation, and that means you’ll need a lot of electrolysers. So, there’s clearly strong potential here. 

But of course, several things need to come together: building up technical capabilities, securing financing, bringing in off-takers, and developing infrastructure. You also need strong policy support and active government involvement. It’s also important to note that, as a developing region, African countries are naturally more price-sensitive. That’s something we have to take into account. But overall, we see very big growth opportunities in this market.

Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolysers have been described as one of the most promising emerging technologies in green hydrogen production. Could you explain how AEM differs from more established technologies like Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) and alkaline electrolysers, and what makes it stand out?

Ruben Furi: You can think of AEM like a hybrid between PEM and an alkaline electrolyser. It’s very similar to PEM because it uses a membrane, but it operates in an alkaline environment. So essentially, you can call it a PEM in an alkaline setting. It takes the membrane-based design from PEM, which allows for a compact and efficient system. And from alkaline, it takes the chemistry, the alkaline environment, which lets us use non-precious materials and helps improve efficiency. So, we’re really combining the best of both. 

There’s also another key difference, and this gets a bit technical. In PEM, the membrane exchanges protons, that’s where the name comes from: proton exchange membrane. In AEM, it exchanges anions, the negative ions, instead of protons. So, it’s the opposite. That’s why the environment inside the cell ends up being alkaline. It’s a mix, a membrane electrolyser that works in an alkaline environment. 

And how exactly does AEM technology work? What is it about it that makes it more effective than others? 

Ruben Furi: For this, allow me to reference Enapter’s AEM electrolyser. The design enables extremely high efficiency due to the high current density. We’re able to squeeze all the components very, very close to each other, so there’s very little electrical loss, essentially. And having an alkaline environment also helps improve efficiency. So, it’s really a mix, the materials, the design of the cell, everything is tightly packed together, the membrane and the alkalinity. All of these things combined, plus, you know, a lot of intellectual property, make it very, very efficient. 

Roughly speaking, what does the cost of AEM electrolyser technology look like for green hydrogen projects , especially at utility or industrial scale? How is cost typically measured, and what would it translate to in larger plants targeting commercial production?

Ruben Furi: It’s a hard question to answer precisely because it varies by project and location, but on large scale projects for AEM technology as Enapter we’re aiming to be well below $1 million per megawatt. 

The production cost really depends on how often the system runs. But typically, electrolyser costs are measured in dollars or euros per megawatt , not per tonne, since electricity input drives hydrogen output.

Smaller electrolysers are cheaper to buy, but more expensive per megawatt. So, for the same amount of hydrogen, smaller units end up being more costly. As you scale up, total CAPEX increases, but cost per megawatt drops, it becomes more efficient economically.

You mentioned that Africa is a price-sensitive market. How do you plan to make AEM electrolyser technology cost-efficient and accessible for deployment across the continent?

Ruben Furi: CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) is key. OPEX (Operational Expenditure) matters too, of course, but CAPEX is really the main challenge at the beginning. In the early stages, there will probably be some financing available to cover CAPEX.  But in the long run, companies will want to buy electrolysers without relying on support from the government or the state. 

That’s why we focus on standardisation, high-volume production, and automation. With that approach, we’ve already managed to bring down costs significantly. We’re already more than competitive with PEM, and we see a clear path toward being competitive with alkaline electrolysers as well — but with much higher performance, lower OPEX, and better efficiency. So again, it comes down to standardisation, mass manufacturing, and volume. 

Given that many African countries are still building capacity in green hydrogen, how do you plan to support local skills development and training for those using or operating your technology? 

Ruben Furi: First, we believe it’s important to leverage existing oil and gas expertise. It’s the closest in terms of technical background, and many of the skills are directly applicable to the hydrogen sector. Second, we already offer technical training at our facility in Italy. These are designed for companies, partners, and customers who will be using, installing, operating, or assembling our electrolysers in their own markets. We’ve done this in Asia and the U.S., and Africa is naturally the next step.