The firm said it came as a result of stripping iridium use by 50% in its second-generation Lotus system, reducing overall system capital investments.

Iridium is used as a catalyst in PEM electrolysers due to its high conductivity and resistance to acidic environments. However, the metal fetches around $4,500 per troy ounce, with only around 7–9 tonnes produced per year as a byproduct of nickel and copper mining.

“We have made significant strides in reducing iridium usage in our PEM electrolysers, exceeding the 2030 industry target of 10GW per tonne,” said Dr Chock Karuppaiah, Ohmium Chief Science and Technology Officer.

The OEM’s new Lotus system is positioned as a megawatt-scale building block for large projects.

According to its specification sheet, it can produce 9kg of hydrogen per hour, with an efficiency of around 49kWh/kg, including balance of plant. Given its estimated 0.44 MW power rating, this corresponds to roughly 24 g of iridium per electrolyser.

It comes as the firm aims to achieve “near zero” iridium use within a decade, targeting a utilisation rate of 36GW per tonne or less within 12 months.

While reducing iridium loading can improve product pricing, it is viewed as a critical way to eliminate supply chain bottlenecks.

PEM electrolyser makers face demand competition with a variety of other sectors, including electrical, automotive, and electrochemical.