Zürcher Nachrichten - Power to Hydrogen Delivers First-of-a-Kind Industrial-Scale AEM Electrolyzer to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges

ANTWERPEN, BELGIUM / ACCESS Newswire / August 11, 2026 / Power to Hydrogen (P2H2), a developer of anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzer systems, today announced it has delivered and begun installation of a first-of-a-kind half-megawatt AEM electrolyzer at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium. The project is the world's first to utilize 250-kilowatt AEM electrolyzer stacks and, once commissioned, will be the first AEM system to demonstrate renewable hydrogen production in a high-throughput industrial port environment under real operating conditions. The milestone marks a major step forward in delivering cost-competitive hydrogen at scale and sets the stage for its public launch, planned for September.

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges system is Power to Hydrogen's first commercial deployment of its M-Class hybrid AEM electrolyzers, designed to scale to 25-megawatts for high-demand industrial environments. Built on industrial 250-kilowatt stack modules, the system is engineered for dynamic operation and efficiency, including sub-50-millisecond response for renewable load-following and pressurized operation that reduces downstream compression needs and simplifies the balance of plant. The technology replaces expensive precious metals in PEM electrolyzers with low-cost materials like steel and nickel. By pairing performance with a lower-cost materials pathway, the company's AEM systems can reduce CAPEX costs by up to 65% versus comparable PEM electrolyzers.

"Port of Antwerp-Bruges is a hub where ambition and action come together," said Rob Smeets, CEO of Port of Antwerp-Bruges. "By welcoming Power to Hydrogen's commercial-scale AEM electrolyzer, we take another concrete step in supporting the demonstration of scalable, flexible technologies in Europe that are needed in Europe's energy transition. It's through these partnerships that we accelerate the shift toward a resilient, strong European future."

Once commissioned, the project will establish a repeatable, installable configuration and third-party validation to de-risk and accelerate future multi-megawatt deployments.

"Renewable hydrogen is moving from pilots to infrastructure and the winners will be the companies that can manufacture, deliver, and operate at industrial scale," said Paul Matter, CEO of Power to Hydrogen. "Bringing our system to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges is a tangible step toward financeable deployment: it proves we can build and ship industry-ready hardware, integrate into a live site, and commission a megawatt-class AEM platform designed for renewable load-following. This project is the blueprint for scaling deployments across Europe and empowers European industry to produce hydrogen feedstock domestically, from its own renewable power, in addition to importing it."

The project will support commercial hydrogen demand in the region across both mobility and industrial applications. It is expected to generate commercial revenue from its first year of operation. The key offtaker at launch is Holthausen, a regional supplier of industrial gases and hydrogen-powered trucks, with the system designed to serve additional customers over time.

Beyond decarbonization, on-site electrolysis enables greater industrial resilience and energy sovereignty at the national and regional level. By converting local renewable electricity and water into hydrogen at the point of use, the technology allows ports and industrial clusters to produce renewable hydrogen locally as part of a diversified supply strategy. Rather than replacing imports, local production can sit alongside imported hydrogen and derivatives, giving customers more choice, stronger supply security, and greater flexibility. For Antwerp's fuels, chemicals, and mobility customers, that means access to renewable feedstock through both local generation and global supply networks.

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges project builds on Power to Hydrogen's selection as the 2022 winner of Free Electrons, a global utility-sponsored innovation program. Free Electrons' success criteria called for a commercial demonstration under real operating conditions, opening the project's path to the NextGen District at Port of Antwerp-Bruges. The program is sponsored by utilities including American Electric Power (AEP), EDP, E.ON, ESB, Origin Energy, and CLP, several of which are now investors in Power to Hydrogen.

"Utilities invest in technologies when there's a credible path to performance in the field and repeatable deployments," said Daniel Joisten, Head of Technology Scouting and Innovation at E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions. "This project at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges is an important step in proving flexible, renewable load-following AEM electrolysis at commercial scale and in building confidence that these systems can be deployed broadly."

About Power to Hydrogen

Power to Hydrogen (P2H2) designs and manufactures industrial-scale hybrid AEM electrolyzer systems built to deliver PEM-like dynamic performance with a lower-cost, scalable materials pathway that avoids iridium and reduces reliance on scarce materials. P2H2's modular platforms are engineered for renewable load-following and industrial duty cycles to make renewable hydrogen cost-competitive, with systems designed to integrate directly with variable renewable power and scale to repeatable multi-megawatt deployments. To learn more, visit power-h2.com or contact [email protected].

Media Contacts

Aaron Endré for Power to Hydrogen
[email protected]

Lennart Verstappen for Port of Antwerp-Bruges
[email protected]

SOURCE: Power To Hydrogen

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