AFCryo unveils green hydrogen production system for zero-emission fueling

New Zealand company AFCryo partners with CPH2 to address the global challenge of decarbonization with a revolutionary system for producing on-demand hydrogen and oxygen from renewable energy

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, May 13, 2021 – Christchurch-based cryocooler developer AFCryo, in conjunction with Clean Power Hydrogen (CPH2), has unveiled its green hydrogen production system to provide a cheaper and more reliable way to generate green hydrogen from renewable sources for fueling, power generation and industrial use.

The revolutionary system, which splits water into pure hydrogen and medical-grade oxygen without the polymer membrane used in common electrolysers, combines AFCryo’s advanced cryogenic technology for gas separation and hydrogen liquefaction with the unique and patented Membrane-Free Electrolyser™ technology of the British manufacturer CPH2.

AFCryo and CPH2 have signed a landmark agreement to collaboratively develop and commercialize the on-demand green hydrogen and oxygen production system. AFCryo is set to ship its first production unit to CPH2 in the UK, for integration with its electrolyser technology, for an order to supply the first 1 MW (megawatt) electrolyser based system in the UK. Ireland to produce pure hydrogen and oxygen.

Christopher Boyle, CEO and Co-Founder of AFCryo, says the company is on a mission to add hydrogen to the global energy grid to help governments, businesses and energy consumers achieve bold reduction in emissions.

“Hydrogen is one of the most scalable and viable options we have to help us make the energy transition to a low-carbon economy. By joining forces with CPH2, we have created a faster, more reliable and more cost-effective renewable energy hydrogen production.It is important to note that oxygen, which is considered a by-product of the hydrogen production system, is pure enough to be captured for use in industry or injected into existing wastewater systems to improve the aerobic process.

Boyle says government and industry investment in the hydrogen economy is critical to achieving global decarbonization goals.

“This technology is poised to help transportation networks and industries around the world transition to hydrogen to help achieve zero carbon goals. In New Zealand, an immediate opportunity is to realize the concept of a hydrogen fueling network using our on-site and on-demand hydrogen generation technology. We can manufacture our system as a relocatable containerized module – ideal for a decentralized supply network – or as a full-scale production plant,” he says.

Government Minister Megan Woods, who holds the energy and resources portfolio, as well as the research, science and technology portfolio, says the project is an exciting development.

“This is exactly the kind of collaboration that will begin to unlock a new energy future for New Zealand as we seek to decarbonise our economy and become less reliant on fossil fuels.”

Jon Duffy, President and CEO of CPH2, said: “Our ambition is to contribute to a cleaner environment for our children and future generations. To do this, we are expanding our business to meet the rapid growth and demand of the global electrolyser market. Our technology offers a cheaper and more reliable alternative to more common proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers that use membranes to separate hydrogen and oxygen streams, which is expensive and can often fail. AFCryo is an important technology and manufacturing partner for our combined renewable hydrogen production system.

Dr. Nigel Williamson, Chief Technology Officer of CPH2, said: “AFCryo will design our largest cryogenic systems, which include their cryogenic separation technology and New Zealand-made DC power systems, to form the back-end of our new electrolyzer technology for scales above 1 MW. .”

AFCryo has earned a reputation as a world leader in the design and manufacture of cryocoolers and liquefiers. The company was established in 2017 as a joint venture between Christchurch, New Zealand-based Fabrum Solutions, an innovator in the design, development and manufacture of composite cryostats, superconducting engines and cryogenic systems established in 2004, and Absolut System, based in Grenoble, France. , a specialty engineering company with advanced expertise in cryogenic engineering founded in 2010.

Hugh Reynolds, CTO and Co-Founder of AFCryo and Fabrum Solutions, said, “AFCryo and CPH2 are at the forefront of sustainable and cost-effective on-demand green hydrogen development. By cross-licensing our technologies, we can meet the demand for our combined solution at a very competitive cost to the end user, which is essential to encourage the adoption of any emerging technology.

“Our partnership will also pave the way for the assembly of large-scale green energy electrolysers in New Zealand, with the majority of the technology supplied by New Zealand companies. In addition to our cryorefrigerators, we are also integrating technology from other local companies such as Enatel, which provided the DC power supply and energy management technology,” he explains.

AFCryo’s cryocooler technology can liquefy and recondense nitrogen, oxygen, methane, argon, neon, biogas and hydrogen for animal science, food and beverage, research, medicine and energy applications. The technology has cooling power in the range of 100 to 10,000 watts, in a temperature range of 40 to 150° Kelvin, allowing it to act as a refrigerator to cool devices such as high-power superconductors. temperature (HTS) and detectors.

Co-founders Boyle and Reynolds have traveled 17 years since Fabrum Solutions developed its first cryocooler in 2005, leading it to full commercialization with support from Callaghan Innovation in spin-off company AFCryo.

Boyle says, “As customers around the world use the cryocooler solutions we have designed for specific needs in space, aviation, HTS, industry and emerging areas such as LNG biogas, the production of green hydrogen represents our largest global opportunity to date.

“We expect the demand for renewable hydrogen and oxygen generation to grow as costs come down with the scaling up of electrolyzer-based technology and less electricity generation. We are gearing up for local production for domestic and export markets which will bring additional job benefits and a welcome economic boost to Christchurch and New Zealand,” he said. he declares.

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