- Nordex Electrolyzers – a joint venture between the Government of Navarra and Nordex Group, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of wind turbines, conducted a test bench for its first in-house-developed prototype of a 500-kW pressurised alkaline electrolyser.
- The prototype was designed, manufactured and assembled entirely in Navarra, Spain.
- The electrolyser will be validated in the facility the company built for this purpose on the site of the Nordex Group’s blade factory in Lumbier, very close to the city of Pamplona.
The 500-kW prototype presented can produce more than 10 kg/h of hydrogen with an energy consumption of less than 50 kWh/kg. It is specially designed to work with power changes and frequent stops. This, together with the right selection of materials, will allow the company to differentiate its product from other manufacturers. Nordex Group’s experience as a wind turbine manufacturer, with factories worldwide, offers competitive synergies to Nordex Electrolyzers to become one of the world’s leading electrolyser manufacturers, enabling the Nordex Group to integrate hydrogen generation into its value chain.
Hydrogen is set to become one of the most important energy vectors of the future. Not only will it allow for better management and integration of renewable energies, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions, but will also allow for the decarbonisation of many industrial sectors that currently require large amounts of hydrogen for their processes. This hydrogen is currently produced through an auto-thermal reforming process from natural gas, but the production of green hydrogen using electrolyzers is the technology that can be a key element in achieving these objectives.
Nordex Electrolyzers is part of the Nordex Group, created in 2022 with the aim of designing and manufacturing pressurised alkaline electrolyzers. Nordex Electrolyzers is in a growth phase, currently employing 26 people and aiming to grow as technological development milestones are met. The regional development agency SODENA (Sociedad de Desarrollo de Navarra) participates in the company with a 15% stake. The electrolyser development plan is partially financed with 12 million euros by the European Commission, through an IPCEI (Important Project of Common European Interest) under the Hy2Tech program.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
