The multi-gigawatt electrolyser factory, developed through a partnership between Siemens and Air Liquide, is based in Berlin, Germany. The aim of the partnership is to focus on increasing electrolysis capacity, with the first step towards this goal being completed within this project.

The partnership created between Siemens and Air Liquide was established in 2022, when both companies decided to drive their aim of increasing electrolysis capacity forwards, therefore making cost competitive hydrogen available to a larger market. Their commitment to laying the foundations for increasing electrolysis capacity can be seen through the new multi-gigawatt electrolyser factory and the aims and expectations which they have placed on the factory.

The primary aim is to have the factory at a 3GW annual electrolysis capacity by 2025, with this 3GW of electrolysis being brough to the market. In order to reach this aim, from opening the project will follow a series of steps to increase the electrolysis capacity in stages every year. This will be done through a series production of electrolyser stacks starting with 1GW in 2023, 2GW in 2024 and finally reaching the 3GW in 2025. To accomplish this the companies will use innovative automation and digitalisation technologies.

The stacks which will be created throughout the next few years for this project will be manufactured in a way and a structure that is based on proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis technology. This means the stacks will feature high efficiency which will help the project harvest volatile renewable energy, which ultimately will be supplied to Siemens’ and Air Liquide’s customers.

Air Liquide’s CEO, François Jackow, commented, “By scaling up the production of large-scale electrolysers, Air Liquide and Siemens Energy will be able to provide their customers with access to large amounts of competitive renewable hydrogen and to decarbonise their activities.”

CEO and President of Siemens Energy, Christian Bruch, added, “We want to be a driving force in hydrogen technology. To make green hydrogen competitive, we need serially produced, low-cost, scalable electrolysers.”