HyReCo – Cost‑Efficient AEM Electrolysers for Green Hydrogen
HyReCo is a trinational research project (Germany–France–Czech Republic) developing a new Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolyser cell platform and a digital twin. The project targets up to 30% cost reduction for bipolar (half) plates and around 20% improvement in efficiency and lifetime.
About HyReCo
HyReCo (CETPartnership project CETP‑2024‑00099) develops a cost‑efficient, robust AEM electrolyser cell designed for industrial mass production. By combining innovative bipolar (half) plates, porous transport layers, membranes and an AI‑based digital twin, the project supports Europe’s goal of around 120 GW green hydrogen capacity by 2030.
The project addresses two main targets compared to state‑of‑the‑art solutions:
- Cost reduction of bipolar (half) plates – up to 30% at demonstrator scale, with a pathway towards ≈80% in industrial application.
- Improved efficiency and lifetime – approximately up to 20%, demonstrated via simulations and a functional digital twin.
Key Highlights
Cost‑efficient components
High‑rate capable concepts for metallic and graphite composite bipolar (half) plates, combined with optimised porous transport layers to significantly reduce material usage and manufacturing costs.
Performance & lifetime
Advanced membranes and cell designs, combined with detailed degradation models, aim to improve AEM electrolyser efficiency and extend operating lifetime under realistic conditions.
Digital Twin & AI
A modular digital twin combines multi‑physics models, reduced‑order models and AI (including invertible neural networks) to monitor performance, predict degradation and support design optimisation.
Open science & demonstrator
A laboratory single cell and a 10‑cell AEM demonstrator serve as an open research platform. Publications, datasets and code will be provided via open repositories and the HyReCo website wherever possible.
Project Facts
- Programme: Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETPartnership), Joint Call 2024
- Project code: CETP‑2024‑00099
- Duration: 10/2025 – 06/2028
- Coordinator: Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU, Chemnitz (DE)
- Core partners: Fraunhofer IWU (DE), Albert Schmutzler Tools & Dies (DE), UPHF / INSA Hauts‑de‑France (FR), VSB – Technical University of Ostrava (CZ)
Latest News
- HyReCo Kick-off Meeting in ParisHyReCo Kick-off Meeting in Paris27 January 2026, Paris (France) On 27 January 2026, the partners of the HyReCo project met in Paris for the official kick-off meeting. The trinational consortium from Germany, France and the Czech Republic used this first face-to-face meeting to align the technical work plan, confirm responsibilities and refine the shared vision… Read more: HyReCo Kick-off Meeting in Paris
Upcoming Events
HyReCo will be present at selected hydrogen conferences, trade fairs and cluster events. An overview of all events can be found on the Events page.
Contact & Collaboration
HyReCo welcomes collaboration with component suppliers, SMEs, OEMs, digitalisation providers, clusters and research organisations. If you are interested in the AEM cell platform, the digital twin or open data and models, please contact the project coordination at Fraunhofer IWU.