Green hydrogen is emerging as a crucial component in accelerating the energy transition thanks to its potential to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors, where emissions have proved to be some of the most difficult to tackle.

According to Goldman Sach’s, the burgeoning global green hydrogen market is projected to be worth $11 trillion by 2050, with the European market expected to contribute around $2 trillion. Additionally, hydrogen demand could vary from 150 to 500 million metric tons per year by 2050, depending on global climate ambitions and the development of sector-specific activities, according to PwC.

Although green hydrogen is already widely used in some industries, it has not yet realized its full potential to support the clean energy transition due to its high production costs. Green hydrogen is produced through the process of electrolysis, by using renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

1s1 Energy is developing next generation electrolyzers to enable low-cost production of green hydrogen. Now, through their partnership with Enel Green Power, it is piloting its first prototype.

Accelerating the path towards decarbonization

The US and Portuguese based startup was founded in 2019 with the mission to develop economically viable
and scalable solutions to drastically reduce carbon emissions within the decade. “We wanted to have the largest possible impact on climate change within the shortest possible time frame”, explains Daniel Sobek, CEO and co-founder of 1s1 Energy.

The team had already been conceptualizing new ways to improve their PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) electrolysis technology since 2013. “In late 2019, we thought the market timing was right to pool our unique bags of tricks and bring our water-splitting ideas to market”, Sobek recalls.

1s1 Energy’s technology combines deep materials science and engineering innovations with practical implementation and strategy, with the goal to become the world’s leading manufacturer of PEM electrolysis systems for hydrogen production using renewable energy.

Reducing the cost of producing green hydrogen

There is an ongoing effort to enhance the cost-effectiveness of green hydrogen production. 1s1 Energy conducted a comprehensive analysis, delving into the fundamental principles, and made a notable finding. Presently, a significant portion of electrolyzers rely on components that were originally developed more than three to five decades ago.

“Our product development strategy is to create new proprietary materials that unlock significantly improved levels of electrolyzer efficiency, durability, and CAPEX, fundamentally changing the rules of the game”, outlines Sobek.

The team is using new materials to make next-generation components and vertically integrate them into modular electrolysis stacks to produce the world’s cheapest green hydrogen for both centralized and distributed applications.

1s1 Energy’s novel materials technology significantly reduces the amount of platinum group metals used in today's PEM electrolyzers. “1s1's technology also lowers the amount of electricity needed to produce a kilogram of hydrogen by making the electrolysis process much more efficient”, adds Sobek.

1s1 Energy participates in NextHy Booster Program

The startup is participating in Enel Green Power’s NextHy Booster Program, a dedicated program to test, validate and accelerate startup businesses and technologies in the growing green H₂ market.

Enel Green Power is testing the performance and durability of 1s1 Energy’s first next-generation electrolysis stack prototype. The collaboration aligns the startup’s technology development to the industrial needs of future customers and can provide early commercial validation of its technology.

“Enel has been highly flexible and helpful in collaborating with us, moving fast and willing to take a chance as the first corporate partner to validate 1s1 Energy’s stack prototype”, explains Sobek.

Enel's support enables 1s1 Energy to advance its pipeline of progressively larger pilot projects, ultimately paving the way for the commercial deployment of 1MW modules. Furthermore, Enel's validation will significantly enhance 1s1 Energy's fundraising endeavors, as investors place high value on product testing conducted by potential customers.

Enel and 1s1 Energy join forces in the energy transition

1s1 Energy and Enel share the same mission: to reach decarbonization as fast as possible. Green hydrogen, serving as a crucial chemical building block, has the potential to substitute fossil fuels across diverse industries, thereby facilitating the process of decarbonization.

Together, the startup and Enel are accelerating the path towards net-zero emissions and will continue to develop new solutions to reach a carbon-free future.

“We hope the program is the first step in a long, collaborative commercial relationship. Soon 1s1’s electrolysis modules could help catalyze Enel Green Power’s green hydrogen ambitions,” states Sobek.

Do you have a green hydrogen technology? Join the NextHy Booster program here!