The Japanese technology company Asahi Kasei has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with De Nora, an Italian multinational company, leader in sustainable technologies, and a manufacturer of electrolyzer cells, small scale electrolyzers, and other components for the production of green H₂ through water electrolysis. The MoU concerns the joint development, study, evaluation, and sale of small-scale pressurized alkaline water electrolyzers.

De Nora possesses technical expertise and knowledge in high-performance electrode catalysts for the electrochemical field, and is a leading company in the development, manufacture, and sale of electrodes and electrolyzers for several industrial electrochemical processes. This MoU was signed with the aim of leveraging the long-standing experience and know-how of both companies in the chlor-alkali electrolysis field to establish a close cooperation framework for development, production, and sales support in the water electrolysis field. Demand for green H₂ produced by water electrolysis as a clean energy alternative to fossil fuels is growing. According to the Hydrogen Council, the global installed capacity of water electrolyzers is forecasted to expand rapidly to a cumulative total of approximately 300 GW by 2030.

Under such circumstances, an increasing number of companies are newly entering the water electrolysis field. In particular, there is growing demand for compact production systems with reduced costs, installation space, and delivery time serving several industrial sectors, including mobility. To meet this growing demand for smaller H₂ production systems, Asahi Kasei has now entered into a collaboration with De Nora, covering technical support, sales, operation, and after-sales service for small-scale containerized electrolyzers in the range of 1 MW−7.5 MW. By doing so, Asahi Kasei expands its portfolio into the range of small-scale containerized pressurized electrolyzers, covering the emerging diversified needs of customers across the entire H₂ market.

Asahi Kasei’s alkaline-water electrolysis business is based on nearly five decades of experience of construction, supply, and long-term operation of chlor-alkali electrolyzers worldwide. This enables the company to provide support to customers who lack adequate experience in electrolysis technology. Asahi Kasei entered the partnership with De Nora in anticipation of synergies with De Nora’s knowledge of electrodes for electrolysis and small sized pressurized electrolyzers for H₂ production. This collaboration is another important cornerstone of Asahi Kasei’s holistic business model to become a one-stop solution provider in the field of electrolysis. This model comprises technological development capabilities for membranes, electrodes, electrolytic cells, and other components involved in the electrolysis process. Going beyond mere technical expertise, it also includes supply chain construction, as well as operation technology and know-how to achieve large-scale production, monitoring technology to ensure long-term plant operability and reliability, as well as maintenance and support systems.

Kenji Takeda, Executive Officer of Asahi Kasei responsible for Business Development of its Green Solution Project, said, “The efforts of both companies to deploy the new water electrolysis systems will lower the hurdle for customers to adopt water electrolysis and contribute broadly to the development of the H₂ market. We believe that the combination of De Nora’s technological expertise and experience as a world leader in the field of electrolysis for many years, together with Asahi Kasei’s customer experience-oriented business model cultivated through chlor-alkali electrolysis, will play an important role in the development and deployment of this system in the addressable markets.”

De Nora’s CEO Paolo Dellachà said, “We are proud to announce the commencement of a collaboration with Asahi Kasei to develop small-scale electrolyzers for green H₂ generation, marking a significant step towards sustainable energy solutions. This partnership leverages the strengths of two leading companies in a strategic field, addressing the global market’s growing demand for small-scale H₂ production systems through our combined expertise. The strategic partnership with Asahi Kasei will enable De Nora to further develop its small-scale containerized electrolyzer technology for H₂ production, designed to supply H₂ to various applications, including mobility, metallurgy, and other hard-to-abate sectors. It effectively supports decentralized H₂ production in areas identified as ‘H₂ Valleys,’ progressively eliminating the dependency on fossil fuels. In addition, this collaboration will accelerate the ramp-up of production at our Italian Gigafactory, our newest electrolyzer manufacturing hub currently under construction.”