The two companies have partnered under a multi-year Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to discover novel catalysts and develop techniques to apply those catalysts onto membranes.

H2U’s proprietary Catalyst Discovery Engine™ (CDE™) will be utilised to reduce the cost of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolysers.

PEM electrolyser designs currently rely on rare, costly platinum group metals (PGMs), such as iridium, which is expensive with a highly constrained supply.

However, the CDE will allow scientists to rapidly discover and develop novel catalysts that are composed of abundant materials costing a fraction of the price of the metals in use today. H2U scientists will then use artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) to further refine the search for optimal catalyst materials.

Dr. Hitsataka Yakabe, Tokyo Gas Director, said, “Undertaking electrolyser catalyst discovery with H2U scientists presents an opportunity to leverage their unique and proprietary CDE with AI/ML capabilities and collaborate to test these low-cost, non-iridium materials in commercially relevant conditions.”

Through the collaboration, Tokyo Gas aims to develop low-cost, high-performance, non-iridium catalysts and catalyst-coated membranes, therefore developing an insurance policy against future supply chain issues. The hydrogen produced through electrolysis will be utilised to manufacture e-methane.

H2U announced it would advance its electrolyser designs and commission its CDE last year, with funds of $11m, successfully raised in a series A funding round.

Read more: H2U Technologies to advance electrolyser technologies with newly secured funding

Mark McGough, CEO of H2U Technologies, said, “Our CDE is a great opportunity for energy suppliers, renewable hydrogen project developers and electrolyser manufacturers, like Tokyo Gas, to discover and develop efficient, active and lower-cost replacements for PGM-based electrocatalysts within a joint development approach.”

McGough previously spoke to H2 View in an exclusive interview about its novel technology and how it can establish itself in the market.

Read more: Exclusive: H2U Technologies’ CEO on its solution to costly electrolyser catalysts