MARITIME H2

MARITIME H2

Our NiCo Electrode for Port Hydrogen Supply

Hydrogen fuel-cell ferries and short-sea vessels need bunkering infrastructure at ports. Our bifunctional NiCo electrode supplies port-based electrolytic hydrogen at 91.4% energy efficiency at 0.5 A/cm2 in an AEM cell with a commercial Zirfon separator.

Polarization (RT vs 60 °C)

TESTBED
Polarization · AEM Electrolyzer Testbed30 wt% KOH · commercial Zirfon separator1.41.51.61.71.81.92.02.10.000.250.500.751.00Current density (A/cm²)Cell potential (V)1.81 V1.62 VRoom temp · 81.8%60°C · 91.3%Baseline run with commercial Zirfon. IONZERA targets a lower membrane voltage drop.

Port-scale electrolyzer support

Electrode on Ni foam from 100 to 1000 cm2 covers pilot-bunkering electrolyzers and grows with port build-out.

Cell-level efficiency

0.5 A/cm2 at 1.62 V at 60 deg C (91.4%) with bifunctional NiCo and commercial Zirfon separator.

Renewable-coupled

Many ports add solar / wind on the dock side. 9 days solar + 100 hours wind cycling validated on bifunctional NiCo with commercial Zirfon.

Bifunctional, 1000 hours stable

Same coated electrode HER and OER. 1000-hour run: 21 uV/hr voltage drift.

Why ports for maritime hydrogen

Hydrogen-powered ferries and short-sea vessels need bunkering infrastructure where they berth. Ports are the natural integration point. On-site electrolytic hydrogen production reduces dependency on tube-trailer delivery and supports vessel turnaround windows.

Our bifunctional NiCo electrode on Ni foam, electroless-deposited, operates as both HER cathode and OER anode at 80 mV and 260 mV overpotential at 100 mA/cm2 in 30 wt% KOH (no IR correction). At cell level, 0.5 A/cm2 at 1.62 V at 60 deg C with bifunctional NiCo and commercial Zirfon separator (500 um).

Renewable-coupled port hydrogen plants

Ports increasingly add solar or wind capacity on the dock side. Our bifunctional NiCo electrode in the AEM cell with commercial Zirfon was tested under PV-derived schedules for 9 continuous days (peaks ~570 mA/cm2) and wind-derived schedules for 100 hours (0 to 0.78 A/cm2). DeltaV after wind cycling: 20 mV at 0.5 A/cm2.

Stability for shore-power and bunkering use

1000-hour run with bifunctional NiCo + commercial Zirfon at 0.5 A/cm2 / 40 deg C showed 21 uV/hr drift. This baseline supports port-utility planning where the electrolyzer is one of many continuously running systems.

1000-hour Stability · AEM Electrolyzer Testbed0.5 A/cm² · 40°C · 30 wt% KOH · commercial Zirfon1.701.751.801.851.9002004006008001000Time (hours)Cell potential (V)DEGRADATION0 µV/hrBefore vs after 1000 hr LSVBeforeAfterΔV = 30 mV @ 0.5 A/cm²Baseline run with commercial Zirfon. Ohmic budget shrinks further with IONZERA.

Scaling from pilot bunkering to full deployment

Early maritime hydrogen deployments are typically pilot-scale. Our electrode is supplied on Ni foam from 100 to 1000 cm2, matching the early pilot footprint and scaling with the port's hydrogen build-out.

PV-derived current profile

9 DAYS
9-Day Solar-Coupled OperationAEM testbed · 40°C · 30 wt% KOH · current density from PV irradiance0.570j (A/cm²)1.951.40V (cell)1.80 V0123456789Time (days)9 days · no driftPV irradiance → current-density schedule applied to AEM stack with commercial Zirfon.

Wind-derived current profile

100 HR
100-Hour Wind-Coupled OperationAEM testbed · 40°C · 30 wt% KOH · current density from wind variation0.780j (A/cm²)1.951.40V (cell)020406080100Time (hours)Before vs after 100 hrΔV = 20 mV @ 0.5 A/cm²Wind-data → current-density schedule applied to AEM stack with commercial Zirfon.

Frequently asked questions

Why use a bifunctional NiCo electrode for maritime fuel cell systems?

Our bifunctional NiCo electrode operates as both HER cathode and OER anode at 80 mV and 260 mV overpotential at 100 mA/cm² in 30 wt% KOH (no IR correction). For maritime fuel cell systems, using a single electrode SKU on both sides simplifies stack BOM and qualification.

What cell-level performance is published?

In a 5 cm² AEM cell with bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides and a commercial Zirfon separator (500 µm) at zero-gap, the cell logs 0.5 A/cm² at 1.81 V at room temperature (82% efficiency) and 1.62 V at 60 °C (91.4%). At 1.0 A/cm²: 2.05 V at RT and 1.79 V at 60 °C.

What is the stability baseline?

Continuous 1000-hour chronopotentiometry at 0.5 A/cm² and 40 °C in 30 wt% KOH (bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides, commercial Zirfon separator) showed voltage drift of 21 µV/hr. Before/after linear-sweep polarization curves differ by 30 mV at the operating point.

Is the electrode validated for renewable-coupled operation?

Yes. PV-irradiance-derived current schedules applied for 9 continuous days (peaks ~570 mA/cm²) and wind-variation-derived schedules for 100 hours (0 to 0.78 A/cm²) on the same cell. ΔV at 0.5 A/cm² before and after the 100-hour wind run: 20 mV.

What substrate sizes ship?

The bifunctional NiCo electrode is produced on Ni foam in the 100 to 1000 cm² size range. Bench-scale 5 cm² coupons matching the published test cell are also available so customers can reproduce numbers on their own rig before scaling up.

Ready to Start

Ready to Evaluate IONZERA?

Request a sample to test IONZERA in your application. Our engineering team will support you through qualification and integration.

Request Electrode Sample