H2Giga Publishes Electrolysis Roadmap: A Guide for the Next Phase of Hydrogen Research

With the publication of the Technology and Innovation Roadmap for Electrolysis, the hydrogen flagship project H2Giga provides a comprehensive assessment of the current state of electrolysis research in Germany and outlines the next steps for scaling up the hydrogen economy. The study compiles the results of five years of intensive collaboration between industry and academia and identifies the technological and industrial policy measures required to establish electrolysis technologies at the gigawatt scale.

Since the launch of the flagship project in 2021, more than 130 partners from industry and research have been working on solutions for the serial production of electrolyzers. These include electrolyzer manufacturers, plant engineering companies, engineering firms, material suppliers, start-ups, as well as universities and research institutes. Their shared objective has been to create the technological basis for the industrial production of this key technology of the hydrogen economy.

Serial production of electrolyzers in focus

The newly published roadmap outlines the current state of electrolysis technologies and the scale-up of water electrolysis in Germany. At the same time, it identifies key fields of action for further industrialization. These include in particular:

• the availability of suitable materials and components,
• automated and scalable production processes,
• standardized quality assurance, and
• the operational stability of electrolysis systems.

“H2Giga has demonstrated how research and industry can jointly scale hydrogen production to the gigawatt level,” said Dr. Mihails Kusnezoff from Fraunhofer IKTS. According to him, the roadmap represents the first evidence-based guide for the further development and industrialization of electrolysis technologies in Germany.

Research needs for scaling up by 2030

In addition to assessing the current state of the art, the study also identifies remaining research needs. In order to scale electrolysis capacities to the gigawatt range by 2030, further work on large stacks and system integration will be required. Not all findings from laboratory-scale experiments can be directly transferred to industrial-scale systems.

One important example is the dynamic, grid-supportive operation of electrolyzers, for instance in response to fluctuating electricity generation from renewable sources. Here, the impact on system durability and long-term stability still requires further investigation.

Recommendations for policymakers and industry

The roadmap also provides concrete recommendations to strengthen and expand Germany’s technological leadership in electrolysis. These range from additional research projects and the development of production and quality standards to industrial policy measures that can support the market ramp-up.

“The roadmap is not the end, but a starting point for the next phase of hydrogen research,” said Isabel Kundler, coordinator of the H2Giga project “Electrolysis Technology Platform.” According to her, many technologies have now reached a level of maturity that allows them to move increasingly into practical implementation.

Experts discuss the future of electrolysis

The presentation of the roadmap was accompanied by a public online panel discussion in which experts from research and industry discussed the status and outlook of different electrolysis technologies. Topics included advances in system performance and lifetime, developments in materials research, as well as political and economic framework conditions for scaling up the market.

For Dr. Tom Smolinka from Fraunhofer ISE, the roadmap highlights one key lesson: “Close collaboration between science, industry, and policymakers is essential to identify challenges in the development and production of electrolyzers and to bring innovations more quickly into application.”