December 7th, 2023 — Since 2021, Powerhouse client and global renewable energy leader Enel has run their NextHy program, dedicated to accelerating the development of green hydrogen technologies. Through NextHy, Enel Green Power solicits early technology readiness level (TRL) startup applicants for their Booster Program with the goal of scaling those innovative technologies. As one of the largest installers of renewables in the world, Enel is positioning itself to be a global leader in green hydrogen, enabling its industrial partners to reach their decarbonization goals.
This summer, Enel Green Power announced that 1s1 Energy would be participating in the NextHy Booster Program in order to test, validate, and accelerate the development of their next-generation proton-exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers in the growing green H2 market. Through this program, 1s1 Energy will be piloting its first prototype, with Enel providing valuable performance and durability insight for future commercial validation.
1s1 Energy’s technology has arrived at a critical time as hydrogen production generated over 1 billion metric tons of CO2 in 2022, most of which was generated by the carbon-intensive steam methane reforming process. However, the IEA forecasts that 2.9 GW of significantly less carbon intensive hydrogen electrolyzers, like 1s1’s will be installed by the end of 2023.
1s1 Energy’s PEM innovations promise better performance at a lower cost than traditional electrolyzers
Traditional alkaline electrolyzers have historically been the most affordable electrolyzer technology, but they ramp slower, are less efficient, and must operate at lower current densities than PEM stacks.
Many PEMs require expensive catalysts and fluorinated polymers, however 1s1 Energy’s PEM technology eliminates the fluorinated polymers found in almost all other PEM electrolyzers, a big step towards making a more sustainable low-cost electrolyzer.
Their platform promises to be 20-30% more efficient and deliver 50% lower CAPEX costs, with a stack life two to three times longer than comparable electrolyzers.
Powerhouse’s work helping Enel partner with 1s1 Energy
Powerhouse is proud to continue supporting the Enel Group’s engagement with climate tech startups, developing solutions for their unique needs as an organization at the center of the energy transition.
As part of our engagement, Powerhouse’s team of industry experts identified 1s1 as a potential candidate for Enel’s NextHy program, evaluated 1s1 Energy’s fit for the program through targeted founder interviews, and introduced 1s1 to Enel’s Open Innovability team after determining that 1s1 Energy’s technology would be a good fit.
It’s not the first startup we’ve introduced to Enel as a strong candidate for the NextHy program: in 2020, we introduced Enel to the startup Power to Hydrogen who they also partnered with. You can learn more about that partnership here.
At Powerhouse, we are proud of our role as facilitators, linking our clients to the forefront of next generation climate tech innovation. We empower corporations and investors to translate their innovation and decarbonization pledges into tangible and significant outcomes. If you're interested in discovering how Powerhouse can expand your firm’s engagement with the climate tech startup ecosystem, reach out to us here.
Authored by Powerhouse Senior Director, Technology and Client Services Octavi Semonin, PhD. Special thanks to Operations & Communications Manager, Jessica Makolin.
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