Tekniker showcases its capabilities covering the entire value chain of hydrogen at EHEC 2024

The Tekniker technology centre, a member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), will play an outstanding role at the EHEC 2024 conference to be held at the Bilbao Exhibition Center (BEC) from March 6 -8 by giving four lectures describing the organisation’s technological capabilities covering the entire value chain of hydrogen.

During this new edition of the European forum, the technology centre will specifically explain the knowledge acquired at a regional, national and European level in the area of hydrogen and the experience acquired in researching and developing new technologies allowing hydrogen to be produced, stored, transported and used in the industry.

Lucía Mendizabal, the coordinator of Tekniker’s Hydrogen Unit, will talk about the implementation of the PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) technology applied to the fully automated and large-scale manufacture of components for electrolysis stacks and explain two collaborative projects carried out in Spain. Firstly, GREENH2PIPES, a project funded by CDTI under the MISIONES call, led by Enagás and in which Tekniker is developing new materials and components for PEM electrolysers to lessen manufacturing costs. Secondly, ELEKWIND, a project in which Tekniker is also participating and has received funding within the framework of PERTE (strategic project for economic recovery & transformation for renewables), renewable hydrogen and storage (ERHA) of the Spanish government

The expert explains that “we are collaborating with other companies to improve the performance and resilience of alkaline electrolysis stacks to eventually produce green hydrogen based on wind power at a more competitive cost”.

Researcher Antia Villamayor, moreover, will give a paper explaining the progress made with regard to producing electrodes with ultra-low platinum loads for PEM electrolysers. Another Tekniker researcher, Fernando López, will present the organisation’s capabilities in relation to the characterisation of materials exposed to hydrogen atmospheres. Finally, Ane López, another Tekniker expert, will review the possibilities that sizing tools for the production of hydrogen offer for industrial applications.

The technology centre will be present on stand 11CL located in the space reserved by the Basque Country’s Energy Cluster where several demonstrators will be on display as proof of the organisation’s potential in terms of its in-house capabilities and facilities focused on boosting R&D in this area.

In the exhibition space, attendees will see bipolar plaques designed to distribute hydrogen correctly that feature a protective coating developed by PVD technology to prevent corrosion and enhance electrical conductivity.

Lucía Mendizabal adds that “during the trade fair we will also show how our know- how is used to design and optimise electrolysis cells. There will also be several parts available to perform on-site hydrogen embrittlement trials.

Hydrogen as a main focus

Tekniker’s presence at EHEC 2024 will serve to reinforce the organisation’s firm commitment with regard to hydrogen and will allow decarbonisation to advance via R&D.

To achieve this goal, the centre has a laboratory specifically designed to run experiments using hydrogen technologies that is equipped with a 1 kW test bench to run trials on new components as well as materials and designs for proton exchange membrane electrolysers (PEM) to explore new control and integration strategies. A 5 kW demonstrator electrolyser used to produce hydrogen is also available at the facilities.

Additionally, Tekniker has put together a team to evaluate the degree to which the mechanical properties of different materials exposed to pressurised hydrogen atmospheres are affected; a testbench to perform electrochemical trials has also been commissioned to ascertain to what extent materials are permeable to hydrogen and a reactor to develop and characterise organic fluids that carry hydrogen.

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