Milestone for the green hydrogen economy

Quest One, a subsidiary of MAN Energy Solutions specialising in electrolysis, has commissioned the most advanced production plant in the field of hydrogen technology in Hamburg. Series production is expected to reduce the production time of electrolysis stacks by 75 per cent.

German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz inaugurated the most modern production facility in the hydrogen economy in Hamburg and called it a new phase in the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy. Acording to MAN, the series production of stacks will increase the availability of green hydrogen, as they are the technological centrepiece of an electrolyser that can be used to produce green hydrogen. With the opening of the new production site, the subsidiary of MAN Energy Solutions formerly known as H-Tec Systems, changes its name and officially becomes ‘Quest One’.
The hydrogen technology specialist is starting the serial and automated production of so-called PEM electrolysis stacks for the production of green hydrogen at the new site. PEM electrolysis, which is based on proton exchange membrane (PEM) technology, is one of the most important processes for industrially scaled hydrogen production from renewable energies. According to the company, the series production is an important step towards making green hydrogen available in large quantities and thus becoming a reliable alternative to fossil fuels.
At full capacity, the new gigahub will enable the automated series production of PEM stacks with a potential total electrolysis capacity of over five gigawatts per year. Stacks are the technological centerpiece of electrolysers and split water into oxygen and hydrogen with the help of renewable electricity. They therefore play a key role in the ramp-up of the future hydrogen economy. This is why the MAN Energy Solutions subsidiary in Hamburg is also researching new generations of stacks.
Uwe Lauber, CEO of MAN Energy Solutions describes it as the most advanced production plant in the hydrogen economy in the whole of Europe. „MAN Energy Solutions and Quest One are thus making a substantial contribution to the establishment and industrialisation of sustainable future technologies in Germany and Europe.“
Robin von Plettenberg, CEO of Quest One added: “The hydrogen economy will change massively in the coming years and decades, and we will be dealing with volumes that are almost unimaginable today. Thus, the electrolysis industry will become one of the key industries of the future. With our gigahub, we are opening one of the most modern sites for PEM technology, development and production in the world here in Hamburg. However, this also emphasises that we want to become a leading player in the hydrogen economy. Our goal is to use our products to avoid one per cent of global greenhouse emissions by 2050.”
The highly automated stack production takes place on two production lines: With a linear transport system and with swivelling arm robots. Many work steps that were previously carried out by hand are now automated which reduces the production time of a stack by around 75 per cent − they can now be produced in Hamburg in less than an hour. The automated production also increases the company's efficiency and precision in manufacturing and optimising logistics processes, resulting in consistently high product quality and fast delivery times.
Source: MAN Energy Solutions