Verdagy hits LCOH below $3.00/kg with commercial AEM electrolyzer module

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Verdagy has run a demonstration-scale anion exchange membrane (AEM) for 1,000 hours on a 20 kW, 3,200 cm2 cell at a high current density in a production environment, validating its cell design and reporting a levelized cost of green hydrogen (LCOH) below $3.00/kg.

The LCOH is currently in the range of $1.82 to $9.62 at the global level, and between $4.42 and $8.57 in the United States, according to data from BloombergNEF (BNEF).

Verdagy also commissioned a three-cell, 500 kW commercial electrolyzer module in August at its Moss Landing pilot plant in Monterey County, California. Each cell reportedly incorporates the largest AEMs in the world, at 28,500 cm2. 

The company is now launching commercial operations. It expects production costs below $2.00/kg, with capex below $200/kW. The technology bodes well with PV, according to Verdagy. 

“Very low capex means you can couple with solar (low capacity factor) and be highly competitive,” CEO Marty Neese told pv magazine. “The lower the capex, the more optimal it is to couple with renewables at lower capacity factors.”

Andras Perl, a scientist at EnTranCe Centre of Expertise Energy at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences, said the figures are “impressive.” He explains that more information about the lifetime and degradation rate of the stacks would be of interest, but not essential, given the low LCOH. 

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“The 1,000 hours testing is nice, but when they do a bit more, we could also learn more about the potential issues that we can expect,” Perl told pv magazine. 

Verdagy’s integrated process includes safety controls, sensors, and process integration in a fully automated pilot plant. The three 28,500 cm2 cells in the newly launched commercial module produce hydrogen at a rate of over 3.0 kg per hour per cell.  It said the module reached industry-leading current density operations higher than traditional and state-of-the-art Alkaline Water Electrolyzers (AWE), exceeding expectations for performance.  

The US Department of Energy recently released a draft national clean hydrogen strategy and roadmap. It focuses on high-impact uses for hydrogen, the reduction of clean hydrogen costs, and support for regional networks.

Verdagy said the measures would provide considerable economic support for technology companies, investors, and financiers. Blue hydrogen’s LCOH in the United States is currently between $1.31 and $2.72, according to BNEF data. 

“The US incentive schemes are enabling the overall de-risking of disruptive technologies like Verdagy's. Further, if we achieve our cost roadmap objectives the incentives become an enhancement to our overall financial returns,” Neese told pv magazine. 

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