Supercritical Solutions has secured £14m ($17.4m) in a Series A funding round led by Shell and Toyota to scale its high-efficiency electrolyser technology, which reportedly produces hydrogen at 42 kWh/kg.
Supercritical will use the funding from the likes of Anglo American, Black Finch and more to advance its electrolysers to the pilot stage while refines technology, manufacturing and market expansion.
The UK-based firm said that its “ultra-efficient membraneless electrolyser delivers hydrogen at pressures exceeding 220 bar with over 99% hydrogen purity.”
Membraneless electrolysers operate without a physical membrane, using fluid dynamics or buoyancy to separate gases naturally. This simpler, cost-effective design offers advantages in durability and maintenance but poses challenges around gas purity and scaling.
Supercritical has also now launched its waiting list, having already secured several key commercial commitments. This will allow businesses to reserve early access to its systems ahead of their commercial rollout, suggesting a strong interest in the product.
“By offering scalable, PFAS-free, membrane-free and iridium-free solutions, Supercritical aims to lower hydrogen production costs to under £1/kg of hydrogen within this decade,” the company wrote online.
Matt Bird, CEO of Supercritical, explained, “Where others are making cuts and hitting roadblocks, Supercritical strides forward in green hydrogen due to its highly differentiated solution.
“With global demand for Supercritical’s technology stronger than ever, I am pleased to announce that our waiting list is open,” the CEO added.
Omar Laalej, Managing Director of new investment Al Mada Ventures, views the electrolyser as a key technology for Morocco’s green hydrogen ambitions under its ‘Morocco Offer’ initiative.
While Supercritical targets sub-£1/kg hydrogen production by 2030, Electric Hydrogen has previously told H2 View that its large-scale PEM electrolysers are expected to achieve low costs of $1-2/kg, highlighting the growing competition in driving down green hydrogen prices.
Electrolyser industry too focused on efficiency, overlooks flexibility, says Battolyser CEO
Electrolyser manufacturers are too focused on hydrogen production efficiency, when they should be looking to make systems more flexible, Battolyser Systems’ CEO has said.
Mattijs Slee, CEO of Battolyser Systems, told the World Hydrogen Summit the electrolyser industry’s reliance on platinum group metals (PGMs) was to improve hydrogen production efficiency.
However, he suggested efficiency was something the industry as a whole is focusing on too much.
Electrolyser efficiency has been a key pillar of technology development as manufacturers and region look to reduce the cost of green hydrogen production. A more efficient system will use less electricity to produce the same volume of hydrogen.
“I think [efficency] is something that, as an industry, we are too focused,” he told the summit. “Efficiency is important. Let’s not drop the ball on this but let’s figure out a bigger issue as we are developing more renewable resources, actually being able to be flexible and convert some of the energy that is otherwise curtailed.”
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