EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies GmbH (EKPO) delivered the first fuel cell stacks to Belgian system integrator MITIS SA (MITIS) in a multi-year development project. It is part of the HYGUANE project which targets the production of renewable and low-carbon H₂ from electrolysis of water powered by a solar farm to fuel Ariane 6, H₂ vehicles and power generators.

The HYGUANE project aims to provide a full low-carbon H₂ ecosystem, with the production of H₂ from water electrolysis, for space propulsion (Ariane 6), mobility applications, decentralized power supply for ESA (European Space Agency) Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. In the coming years, the numerous power generators currently running on fossil fuels are to be completely replaced by highly efficient low carbon technology.

According to this plan, it is envisaged that various EKPO fuel cell stacks will each form the core for the fuel cell systems developed and produced by MITIS. EKPO delivered a first stack of the type NM5-evo in September 2023 and a NM12 stack in June 2024. The modular NM5-evo platform is available in various power levels with a stack capacity of up to 76 kWel. The even more powerful NM12 stack modules offer a power output of up to 205 kWel.

Dr. Stefan Dwenger, EKPO's Chief Commercial Officer, said, "EKPO fuel cell stacks manage to create a high-performance, climate-neutral power infrastructure in the stationary sector. Following the past development order for bipolar plate for use in electrolyzers in the high-power range, this is further proof of the wide range of possible applications for our technology."

EKPO has a profound expertise in both customer-specific development and industrial production of fuel cell technology components and systems. MITIS is integrating fuel cell components and working on complete stationary turbocharged fuel cell systems. As a member of the HYGUANE consortium and together with its main partner BEBlue, the company is dedicated to achieving significant and immediate reductions in emissions.

The project is initially scheduled to run for three years. The planned system output of the fuel cell systems developed by MITIS in collaboration with EKPO is up to 150 kWel. In the long term, further fuel cell systems with a total output of up to 1 MWel are planned. This will create a pioneering, climate-friendly, and decentralized power generation system that can be used for a wide range of applications beyond the specific project.