By accelerating the strategic collaboration between ABB and HOI launched in 2020, the two companies are advancing the deployment of economic large-scale green hydrogen production systems to decarbonize hard-to-abate industries that address a wide range of essential needs – energy, metals, cement, utilities, ammonia, fertilizers, and fuels for aircraft, ships, trucks and rail.
The companies will leverage their respective capabilities and resources to commercialize HOI’s patented RuggedCell high-power water electrolysis technology for the world’s largest green hydrogen plants. Water electrolysis is the process of applying electrical energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. RuggedCell technology converts renewable electricity such as hydro, solar and wind power into green hydrogen for industry.
“We look forward to building on our companies’ two-year working relationship to pursue the enormous global opportunity of green hydrogen,” said Joachim Braun, division president, ABB Process Industries. “Following a rigorous validation of the RuggedCell technology, we are confident that, in combination with ABB’s high-power rectifiers, it can become a category leader in the large-scale green hydrogen segment. Our complementary technologies will strengthen the Hydrogen Optimized value proposition and fast-track the commercialization of the RuggedCell.”
Global electrolyzer capacity will reach an estimated 3,100 GW by 2050, according to a June 2022 report published by DNV. The group forecasts that electricity-based green hydrogen will be the dominant form of hydrogen production by the middle of this century, accounting for 72% of output.
The proceeds of ABB’s investment into Key, led by ABB Technology Ventures, will be used to advance HOI’s intellectual property development, build up corporate capabilities for increased business activity and introduce automated manufacturing and robotics. This will accelerate the rollout of gigawatt-scale electrolyzer manufacturing.
For more information, visit www.abb.com/ventures.
