Canadian company Cipher Neutron Inc. (“Cipher Neutron”, the
“Company” or “CN”) is pleased to announce a significant milestone
in the exponentially growing global green hydrogen production
industry.
Cipher Neutron’s research and development department has
achieved the unprecedented 94.36% efficiency on its Anion Exchange
Membrane (AEM) electrolyser stack. This groundbreaking advancement
promises to significantly reduce the cost of green hydrogen, making
green hydrogen a more viable and sustainable energy source.
With this new accomplishment of efficiency, Cipher Neutron’s AEM
electrolysers now require only 41.754kWh to produce 1 kilogram (kg)
of hydrogen. While this figure does not include purification
losses, which are typically less than 3kWh per kilogram, ensuring
that the overall energy requirements remain impressively low. This
efficiency is measured at the stack level, considering the high
heating value of hydrogen at 39.4kWh per kilogram. These results
were produced under thorough industry standard analysis and are
repeatable, ensuring reliable performance.
Reducing the Cost of Green
Hydrogen
The increased efficiency of Cipher Neutron's proprietary AEM
electrolyser stack translates directly into lower production costs
for green hydrogen. Here is how:
- Lower Energy Consumption: By reducing the energy required to
produce hydrogen, operating costs are significantly decreased. The
high efficiency means that less electricity is needed, which is a
major cost component in hydrogen production.
- Operational Savings: The advanced efficiency reduces wear and
tear on equipment, leading to lower maintenance costs and longer
operational life of the electrolyser systems.
- Enhanced Productivity: Higher efficiency means more hydrogen is
produced per unit of energy consumed, increasing overall
productivity and output without the need for additional energy
input.
- Competitive Pricing: With reduced production costs, Cipher
Neutron can offer green hydrogen at a more competitive price point,
making it an attractive alternative to fossil fuel based hydrogen
and other energy sources.
- Scalability and Investment: The cost savings associated with
the increased efficiency make it more feasible to scale up large
volume hydrogen production, attracting more investments and
accelerating the adoption of green hydrogen in various
industries.
Repeatable and Scalable
Efficiency
Cipher Neutron's breakthrough in achieving 94.36% efficiency is
not only a singular achievement but also repeatable and scalable.
This ensures consistent performance and reliability across
different production scales, from small pilot projects to large
industrial applications. The technology’s scalability makes it
ideal for widespread adoption, meeting the growing global demand
for sustainable energy solutions.
Key Contributing Factors
Cipher Neutron's remarkable efficiency achievement is the result
of several proprietary innovative design and manufacturing
advancements:
- Unique Flow Fields Design: Ensures the optimum flow of
electrolyte within the system and the timely evacuation of gas,
reducing energy losses and enhancing overall efficiency. This
design optimizes the distribution and circulation of the
electrolyte while efficiently managing the produced hydrogen and
oxygen gases. Timely removal of produced hydrogen ensures there is
no trapping of gas within the stack and electrolyser system,
utilizing the full active surface area of the stack cells and
maintaining uniform performance across the electrolyser stack.
- Proprietary Ink Recipe and Coating Mechanism: Enhances the
electrochemical performance and durability of the electrolyser
components. The unique ink recipe of Cipher Neutron combined with
CN’s in-house developed coating mechanism ensure that the catalyst
penetrates the substrate effectively, ensuring that the catalytic
material is deeply integrated into the structure of the electrodes.
This catalyst penetration is crucial for achieving high
conductivity and maximizing the reactive surface area.
Additionally, the even and uniform coating provided by the unique
CN mechanism enables uniform performance across the entire
electrode surface, preventing hotspots and ensuring consistent
efficiency.
- Advanced Cell Compression Techniques: Improves contact
efficiency and reduces resistance. Proper compression ensures that
all components within the cell are in optimal contact, reducing
electrical losses and improving the overall energy efficiency of
the system.
- Zero-Gap Cell Technology: Minimizes the distance between
electrodes of the stack, leading to higher efficiency. By reducing
the physical distance or gap between the electrodes, the system
experiences lower resistance and higher reaction rates, which
contribute to the overall efficiency.
Challenging Grey Hydrogen
Prices
Achieving high efficiency is essential for green hydrogen to
compete with grey hydrogen, which is produced from natural gas and
is currently less expensive due to established, lower-cost
carbon-emitting production methods. Cipher Neutron's advanced AEM
electrolyser stack, with its 94.36% efficiency, reduces the energy
needed to produce hydrogen, significantly lowering the production
costs. This makes green hydrogen more economically competitive and
attractive, aligning with global efforts to reduce carbon emissions
and transition to sustainable energy sources.
Uniqueness of Cipher Neutron’s
Electrolysers
Cipher Neutron’s AEM electrolysers stand out in the electrolyser
industry not only for their high efficiency but also for their
unique and sustainable design. The CN electrolysers are PFAS-free,
eliminating the use of harmful Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl
Substances, which are persistent environmental pollutants.
Additionally, the CN electrolysers do not require iridium, a scarce
and expensive material that poses a significant supply chain
constraint for other major electrolysis technologies. These factors
make Cipher Neutron’s products both environmentally friendly and
cost-effective. Furthermore, the Company has maintained high
current densities of 1.1 amps per cm² at these efficiency levels,
ensuring a compact design and efficient use of space and
materials.
Comparison to Traditional Electrolyser
Systems
Traditional electrolyser systems typically require 50kWh to
produce 1 kilogram of hydrogen. In comparison, Cipher Neutron's AEM
electrolyser stack now requires only 41.754kWh, representing an
improvement in energy consumption of almost 19.75%.
To illustrate the cost savings at scale, consider a 100MW
project:
1. Traditional Industry Standard Green Hydrogen Electrolyser
Stack:
- Energy required per kg of hydrogen: 50kWh
- Annual hydrogen production (assuming 100% capacity, 8760
hours/year): 100,000kW (100MW)×8760
hours/50kWh/kg=17,520,000kg
2. Cipher Neutron's AEM Stack:
- Energy required per kg of hydrogen: 41.754kWh
- Annual hydrogen production (assuming 100% capacity, 8760
hours/year):
100,000kW(100MW)×8760hours/41.754kWh/kg=20,980,026kg
3. Cost Savings by using Cipher Neutron’s AEM Technology:
Using the same amount of energy, Cipher
Neutron’s AEM Electrolyser will produce an additional 3,460,026kg
of green hydrogen annually compared to the industry standard,
resulting in a total of 20,980,026kg from CN’s electrolyser versus
17,520,000kg from the industry standard. This represents an
increase of almost 20% more green hydrogen, which can help lower
the cost of green hydrogen. The excess hydrogen can be used to
produce 19,548 metric tons of green ammonia or 69,200 metric tons
of green steel, significantly reducing global carbon emissions.
Large-Scale Benefits
The improved efficiency of Cipher Neutron's AEM electrolyser
stack not only reduces the cost of green hydrogen production but
also has significant implications for large-scale hydrogen
projects. For instance:
- Increased Plant Output: With the efficiency improvement, a
100MW plant can produce approximately 20% more hydrogen annually,
significantly increasing the plant's output and revenue
potential.
- Investment Attraction: Lower production costs and higher output
make green hydrogen projects more attractive to investors,
facilitating the growth and expansion of the hydrogen economy.
- Sustainability Goals: Increased efficiency and reduced costs
align with global sustainability goals, promoting the adoption of
green hydrogen as a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels.
Ranny Dhillon, Chief Scientific Officer of Cipher Neutron,
stated "Our team's dedication to pushing the boundaries of
technology has led to this significant breakthrough. We are excited
about the potential impact this will have on the green hydrogen
market and our continued commitment to sustainability and
innovation."
About Cipher Neutron
Inc.
Cipher Neutron is a rapidly growing disruptive technology
company focused on AEM Electrolysers for Green Hydrogen production
and Reversible Fuel Cells for power generation and Energy Storage
Solutions. Cipher Neutron is a global group of scientists,
engineers, technology developers, experts in hydrogen technology,
investment bankers and people that have worked in hydrogen for
decades. Cipher Neutron’s innovative products, such as AEM
Electrolysers and Reversible Fuel Cells have unique advantages over
other Green Hydrogen production, power generation and energy
storage solutions currently available in the global market. Please
see: https://cipherneutron.com
Forward-Looking Statements: This news release may contain
forward-looking statements regarding future events, financial
performance, or business strategies of Cipher Neutron Inc. These
statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those
expressed or implied in possible forward-looking statements. Cipher
Neutron Inc. undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such
forward-looking statements, if any, whether as a result of new
information, future events, or otherwise. Cipher Neutron Inc.
reserves the right to modify, amend or update any information in
this news release without prior notice. Cipher Neutron Inc. is not
required and may not inform readers of any such changes or any
updates to this news release to reflect subsequent
developments.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240619203546/en/
Gurjant Randhawa, CEO & President Cipher Neutron Inc. 101 -
501 Alliance Avenue Toronto, Ontario M6N 2J1 +1 (647) 803-0002
grandhawa@cipherneutron.com Nancy Massicotte Vice-President
Corporate Development Cipher Neutron Inc. +1 (604) 507-3377
nancy@irprocommunications.com