Power to Hydrogen (P2H2), a developer of anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzer systems, announced it has delivered and begun installation of a half-megawatt AEM electrolyzer at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium.
The project is the world’s first to utilize 250-kilowatt AEM electrolyzer stacks and, once commissioned, will be the first AEM system to demonstrate renewable hydrogen production in a high-throughput industrial port environment under real operating conditions. The milestone marks a step forward in delivering cost-competitive hydrogen at scale and sets the stage for its public launch, planned for September.
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges system is Power to Hydrogen’s first commercial deployment of its M-Class hybrid AEM electrolyzers, designed to scale to 25-megawatts for high-demand industrial environments. Built on industrial 250-kilowatt stack modules, the system is engineered for dynamic operation and efficiency, including sub-50-millisecond response for renewable load-following and pressurized operation that reduces downstream compression needs and simplifies the balance of plant. The technology replaces expensive precious metals in PEM electrolyzers with low-cost materials like steel and nickel. By pairing performance with a lower-cost materials pathway, the company’s AEM systems can reduce CAPEX costs by up to 65% versus comparable PEM electrolyzers.
Once commissioned, the project will establish a repeatable, installable configuration and third-party validation to de-risk and accelerate future multi-megawatt deployments.
The project will support commercial hydrogen demand in the region across both mobility and industrial applications. It is expected to generate commercial revenue from its first year of operation. The key offtaker at launch is Holthausen, a regional supplier of industrial gases and hydrogen-powered trucks, with the system designed to serve additional customers over time.
Beyond decarbonization, on-site electrolysis enables greater industrial resilience and energy sovereignty at the national and regional level. By converting local renewable electricity and water into hydrogen at the point of use, the technology allows ports and industrial clusters to produce renewable hydrogen locally as part of a diversified supply strategy. Rather than replacing imports, local production can sit alongside imported hydrogen and derivatives, giving customers more choice, stronger supply security, and greater flexibility. For Antwerp’s fuels, chemicals, and mobility customers, that means access to renewable feedstock through both local generation and global supply networks.
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges project builds on Power to Hydrogen’s selection as the 2022 winner of Free Electrons, a global utility-sponsored innovation program. Free Electrons’ success criteria called for a commercial demonstration under real operating conditions, opening the project’s path to the NextGen District at Port of Antwerp-Bruges. The program is sponsored by utilities including American Electric Power (AEP), EDP, E.ON, ESB, Origin Energy, and CLP, several of which are now investors in Power to Hydrogen.
