Oct 16, 2025
Project partners from research and industry develop plastic cell frames for alkaline electrolyzers in the publicly funded "ProEly" project
The ProEly consortium: representatives from industry and research.
- Cost reduction and scaling of electrolyser components as a key milestone for the large-scale production of green hydrogen
- Pioneering cell frame concept for more economical and ecologically sustainable electrolysers
- Development of innovative elastomers for long-term use in basic KOH electrolytes
Hydrogen is a key energy source for climate neutrality, as it can be produced from renewable energies by electrolysis and contributes to the decarbonization of all energy sectors. The German government's National Hydrogen Strategy (NWS) calls for a target of 10 GW of electrolysis capacity by 2030. In addition to scaling the electrolysis stacks, automated manufacturing processes are also crucial for large-scale production. The cell frame in particular, which has so far mostly been made of metal, offers great potential for substitution by injection-mouldable plastics, as 200-300 cell frames have to be installed for each electrolysis megawatt (see Fig. Electrolysis stack prototype with 200 cell frames).
The overarching aim of the project is therefore to develop a new type of recyclable plastic construction and the associated scalable process technology based on injection molding for the efficient large-scale production of thermoplastic cell frames for alkaline water electrolysis. The innovative components to be developed should be both ecologically and economically sustainable and contribute to the production of green hydrogen.A broad-based consortium of research institutions (Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW), Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology at TU Dresden) and partner companies (ElringKlinger AG, AUMO GmbH, Symate GmbH, MOCOM Compounds GmbH & Co. KG) are cooperating to achieve the objectives set out in the ProEly project. The interest in industrial implementation of the new technology is underlined by the participation of electrolyzer manufacturer Stargate as an associated partner.
Elektrolysestack-Prototyp – Testbetrieb am ZSW Stuttgart.
In the course of upscaling hydrogen production, the advantages of plastic cell frames become more than clear: in addition to near-net-shape production, there are further advantages in terms of cycle time, weight, functional integration and closed-loop production. High-performance thermoplastics with sufficient resistance to the basic electrolyte are required for use in alkaline electrolysers. In order to reduce the material requirements of these cost-intensive thermoplastics to a minimum, ElringKlinger has developed a two-component approach. This allows the high-performance thermoplastic to be used only in the media-conducting areas. The structural part of the cell frame, which has to withstand an operating pressure of over 30 bar, is manufactured using a cost-effective standard plastic. The open design and production-specific issues depending on the material pairings together with the development of suitable elastomer materials and sealing concepts are the subject of the project. Innovative processes should enable automated production on a large series scale in the future, including digital, AI-based quality assurance. With the solutions developed, an electrolysis stack will be set up as a proof-of-concept at the project partner ZSW and tested in printing operation. Proof of resource-efficient recyclability promotes the sustainability and resilience of the technology. The "ProEly" project is thus making a significant contribution to the transformation of the energy sector.
The funding extends over the period from 01.08.2025 to 31.07.2028, the funding amount is 3.6 million euros. The consortium would like to thank the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and Project Management Jülich (PtJ) for funding the project as part of the 8th Energy Research Program.
Ansprechpartner:
© Tanja Kirsten
Dr.-Ing. Robert Kupfer
Head of Neutral Lightweigt Engineering
Send encrypted email via the SecureMail portal (for TUD external users only).
Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology
Visitors Address:
DÜR, Floor 2, Room 260b Holbeinstr. 3
01307 Dresden
Deutschland