Agfa will continue its collaboration with VITO, a global technology development center, to pioneer a new generation of separator membranes for alkaline water electrolyzers. Agfa and VITO have a rich shared history within this field, which resulted in the commercial launch of the first generation of ZIRFON membranes in 2007.

Within their extended collaboration, VITO will work with Agfa on developing novel porous gas separator membranes to improve electrolyzer performance and reduce overall H₂ production cost. Agfa and VITO will actively pursue funding opportunities to further boost their joint research, including Belgian federal (e.g., Clean H₂ for Clean Industry) and regional (e.g., VLAIO) calls.

EU funding for membrane production plant. Concurrently, Agfa has been awarded an €11-MM grant from the prestigious EU Innovation Fund for its GIGA-SCALES project. This funding will act as a driving force for the establishment of Agfa’s pioneering industrial-scale ZIRFON membranes production plant in Mortsel, Belgium. These cutting-edge membranes are deployed as separators in alkaline water electrolyzers, revolutionizing green H₂ production. The production plant’s entry into operation is foreseen for October 2025.

With over 100 companies worldwide already utilizing ZIRFON membranes for large-scale H₂ projects, Agfa is rapidly expanding its production capacity. The upcoming industrial unit will be able to produce membranes representing 20 gigawatt per year of alkaline water electrolysis (corresponding to an annual reduction of 15 MMt of CO₂ emissions for each 20 GW delivered). The scale at which ZIRFON will become available allows the worldwide deployment of water electrolyzers, which are at the heart of the green H₂ economy.

Agfa recently secured the environmental permit from the local authorities for the new ZIRFON production plant. It will be designed for future extensions that ensure scalability according to market demands.

Agfa’s CEO Pascal Juery said, “We are dedicated to bringing innovative technology to contribute to the EU’s mission for a carbon-neutral future. We have therefore prolonged our strategic collaboration with VITO. Our ZIRFON membranes business grew exponentially in 2023 and we are honored that the EU Innovation Fund decided to support our plans with an €11-MM grant. Furthermore, as we obtained all environmental permits, we are confident that the plant will be operational by October 2025 to be ready for the expected further increase in customer demand.”

VITO’s CEO Inge Neven said, “H₂ plays an important role in the transition towards cleaner and more sustainable energy sources. We are developing materials that enable safe and cost-effective production of H₂. Agfa is a partner with a proven track record to bring these new materials successfully to the market. We are looking forward to the continued collaboration.”