Revolutionary Step for Green Hydrogen from TÜBİTAK

07 May 2025

Turkey has achieved an important milestone in the field of green hydrogen production. TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center (MAM) has developed a domestic electrolyzer that can produce hydrogen with 99.9% purity.

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) type electrolyzer is Turkey's first high-capacity domestic product in hydrogen technologies. This technology will play a critical role in achieving Turkey's green energy goals.

South Marmara hydrogen valley project

This technology, developed within the scope of the South Marmara Hydrogen Valley project, which was implemented based in Bandırma district of Balıkesir, is expected to make a great contribution to Turkey's green energy targets. The project, carried out with the financial support of Southern Marmara Development Agency, Eti Maden İşletmeleri and Enerjisa, also includes the field implementation of Turkey's first domestic green hydrogen production facility.

The produced PEM electrolyzer has the capacity to produce a minimum of 5 standard cubic meters of green hydrogen per hour. The most important feature of this electrolyzer is that it enables the separation of water into hydrogen and oxygen by using electricity obtained from renewable energy sources. Thus, clean hydrogen can be produced without carbon emissions. The hydrogen produced will be used to cool the turbine generators at Enerjisa's natural gas power plant in Bandırma. Additionally, this technology has been designed to be used in industrial and medical applications.

Commercial potential and future plans

Hydrogen Valley Project Coordinator Mehmet Volkan Duman emphasized that PEM electrolyzers developed by TÜBİTAK not only meet local needs but also have commercial production and export potential. Duman said, "By developing this technology, we aim to make Turkey an important player in the field of green hydrogen."

It was also stated that within the scope of the project, Eti Maden will develop a new power system based on sodium borohydride. This system can offer new solutions for storing and transporting hydrogen.

The importance of local technology

The electrolyzer, whose assembly will be completed at the TÜBİTAK campus in Gebze, will be moved to Bandırma and will be used actively in the field. This development makes a significant contribution to Turkey's goals of increasing the rate of localization in renewable energy transformation. At the same time, it paves the way for innovative solutions in the industry and energy sectors.

The important steps taken by Turkey in this field can provide a competitive advantage not only in the domestic market but also in the international energy sector. Domestic and innovative projects are expected to play a critical role in achieving green energy targets in the future.

Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Electrolyzers

PEM electrolyzers are a type of electrolyzer used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis. In these electrolyzers, a proton-conductive membrane is located between the electrodes. PEM electrolyzers are increasingly preferred in green hydrogen production due to their advantages such as high efficiency, fast response time and compact size.

Working principle

In PEM electrolyzers, water is supplied to the anode side and when electric current is applied, water molecules dissociate into hydrogen ions (protons) and oxygen. Hydrogen ions pass through the PEM membrane and reach the cathode side, where they combine with electrons to form hydrogen gas. Oxygen gas is released at the anode side.

Advantages

  • High efficiency
  • Fast response time
  • Compact size
  • High purity hydrogen production
  • Low operating costs

PEM electrolyzers offer an ideal solution for the production of green hydrogen using electricity obtained from renewable energy sources.

Source: Green News

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