SMM Analysis: Weekly Review of the Electrolyzer Industry, 20250404-20250410

Capacity-wise, the domestic alkaline electrolyzer market maintained 35.77 GW this week, with no new capacity added. In terms of deliveries, as of April 10, 2025, Asahi Hydrogen Energy delivered one 1,000 Nm³/h alkaline electrolyzer to Australia last week, while Xibei Hydrogen Energy delivered one 1,000 Nm³/h unit to a green hydrogen project in Jilin. In the PEM sector, Hydrogen Energy delivered one 50 Nm³/h unit to Europe last week. As of March 20, 2025, domestic companies (including overseas deliveries) had delivered a total of 10 MW of alkaline electrolyzers (data sourced from public information).

Regarding electrolyzer orders, as of this week, the third batch of auxiliary equipment (hydrogen production system) procurement project for the 2x1,000 MW ultra-supercritical unit project of Shaanxi Coal Xinyang announced the bid winner, which was Beijing Power Equipment Group, with the winning product being one 1,000 Nm³/h alkaline electrolyzer. Additionally, LONGi Hydrogen recently signed a supply agreement with Saudi Arabia's NEOM for the world's largest single green hydrogen project, confirming at least one 2,000 Nm³/h alkaline electrolyzer order. As of April 10, 2025, a total of at least 47 orders for 1,000 Nm³/h units and one 2,000 Nm³/h alkaline electrolyzer order were confirmed, including 10 units for Xingong Green Hydrogen, 16 units for Sungrow Hydrogen, 12 units for CRRC Zhuzhou, 8 units for Sany Hydrogen, and 1 unit for Beijing Power Equipment Group.

1. China Releases the "Electrolyzer Energy Efficiency Leader Action Plan"
The National Energy Administration issued a special policy on April 5, explicitly requiring the current density of newly built alkaline electrolyzers (ALK) and proton exchange membrane electrolyzers (PEM) to be increased to 0.65 A/cm² and 1.5 A/cm², respectively, with the hydrogen production energy consumption threshold set at ≤4.3 kWh/Nm³ (ALK) and ≤4.8 kWh/Nm³ (PEM), accelerating the exit of inefficient capacity.

2. EU Launches Electrolyzer Carbon Footprint Certification System
The European Commission announced on April 7 that it will enforce mandatory certification of the entire life cycle carbon emissions of electrolyzer manufacturing, requiring suppliers to provide data from raw material extraction to equipment scrapping. Green hydrogen projects must include third-party carbon footprint reports to apply for subsidies.

3. US Department of Energy Grants Support R&D for Small Modular Electrolyzers
The US Department of Energy announced $230 million in grants to 10 startups, focusing on developing low-cost solid oxide electrolyzers (SOEC) in the 5-50 kW range, aiming to reduce equipment costs to below $300/kW, suitable for distributed energy scenarios.

4. Nel ASA Launches World's First Offshore Wind-Dedicated PEM Electrolyzer
Norway's Nel ASA introduced a PEM electrolyzer designed for offshore platforms on April 4, with salt spray corrosion resistance improved by 50%, single-unit power reaching 2.5 MW, suitable for offshore wind-to-hydrogen projects above 10 MW, with mass production planned for 2026.

5. Cummins Unveils World's Highest Current Density ALK Electrolyzer
US-based Cummins announced on April 8 that its fifth-generation ALK electrolyzer achieved a current density breakthrough of 0.7 A/cm², with efficiency improved by 12% compared to the previous generation, and single-unit daily hydrogen production reaching 1.2 mt, already securing an order for a green ammonia project in the Middle East.

6. Chinese Team Achieves Localization of Titanium-Based Coating Electrolyzers
The Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with domestic producers, announced on April 9 the successful mass production of titanium-based coating titanium electrode electrolyzers, with lifespan extended to 80,000 hours and costs reduced by 60%, breaking overseas monopolies.

7. Siemens Gamesa and Plug Power to Build Wind-to-Hydrogen Electrolyzer Factory
The two parties signed an agreement on April 3 to invest €500 million in building a PEM electrolyzer gigafactory on the North Sea coast of Germany, with a planned annual capacity of 2 GW, expected to start production in 2027, supplying offshore wind-to-hydrogen projects in Europe.

8. France's ENGIE Collaborates with African Companies to Deploy Off-Grid Electrolyzers
French energy group ENGIE signed a memorandum with a Moroccan company on April 6 to deploy 50 sets of off-grid alkaline electrolyzers in the Sahara Desert region, using PV to produce hydrogen for local fertilizer production, with the first phase of the project expected to be operational by year-end.

9. Australia's FMG Collaborates with Japan's Chiyoda to Develop Offshore Floating Electrolyzer Platform
Australian mining giant FMG and Japan's Chiyoda announced on April 10 a joint development of floating electrolyzer technology, utilizing offshore wind power to build the world's first MW-scale floating hydrogen production platform in Indonesian waters.