Technology

Name

INEOS Hydraeon

Owner

/ Ineos Technologies Ltd.

Brand

Hydraeon alkaline water electrolyser

Process

Decompositions reactions

Type

Water Electrolysis

Available

Technology Overview

The Hydraeon alkaline water electrolyser is INEOS’ purpose-built solution for large-scale green hydrogen production, leveraging 130⁺ years of electrolysis expertise from its chlor-alkali BICHLOR™ platform.

Key innovations:

Feature	Specification
Electrolysis type	Advanced alkaline water (KOH solution)
Energy consumption	<54 kWh/kg H₂ (class-leading)
Current density	Up to 10 kA/m²
Modular capacity	25MW–100MW units, scalable to GW scale
Gas purity	>99.9% H₂, <0.1% O₂ (dry basis)
Dynamic operation	10–100% turndown with rapid load shifts

Core advantages:

Inherits BICHLOR™’s modular, low-pressure safety design but eliminates chlorine-related risks.
Proprietary electrode coatings with 8-year refurbishment cycles (vs. industry-standard 5 years).
Compatible with intermittent renewable energy, enabling grid-balancing applications.^[1][4]

Process Flow Description

The Hydraeon process follows these stages:

Water Pretreatment:
- Demineralized water is mixed with potassium hydroxide (KOH) to form the electrolyte.
- Filtration removes impurities to protect membrane integrity.^[1][4]
Electrolysis:
- Electrolyser stack: Modular cells with nickel cathodes and MMO-coated anodes split water into H₂ and O₂:
  2H₂O → 2H₂ + O₂
- Operating conditions: 80–90°C, low pressure (0–5 bar), 10 kA/m² current density.^[1][7]
Gas-Liquid Separation:
- Hydrogen separator: H₂ gas is cooled, dried, and purified (membrane/PSA systems).
- Oxygen venting: O₂ is safely released or captured for industrial use.
- Electrolyte recirculation: KOH solution is filtered and returned to the electrolyser.^[1][4]
Compression & Storage:
- H₂ is compressed to 20–30 bar for pipeline injection or stored in tanks.

Key Differences from BICHLOR™

Parameter	Hydraeon (H₂ Focus)	BICHLOR™ (Cl₂/NaOH Focus)
Electrolyte	KOH solution	NaCl brine
Membrane	Non-PFAS alkaline	Fluoropolymer cation-exchange
Primary output	H₂ (99.9% purity)	Cl₂, NaOH, H₂
Pressure	Low-pressure (safer H₂ handling)	Higher pressure for Cl₂ liquefaction

Pilot Projects

INEOS-ENGIE Antwerp (Belgium):
- Objective: Replace 10–20% of natural gas with green H₂ in a gas turbine at INEOS Phenol’s CHP plant.^[2][5][6]
- Implementation:
  - EQUANS-designed “mixing skid” blends H₂ with natural gas.
  - Initial 10% H₂ injection successful; scaling to 20% underway.^[5][6]
- Outcome: Reduced CO₂ emissions by ~1,200 tonnes/year, validating H₂ compatibility with existing infrastructure.^[3]
Köln Green Hydrogen Project (Germany):
- Scope: 100MW Hydraeon electrolyser producing green H₂ for ammonia and e-methanol synthesis.
- Impact: Expected to cut 120,000 tonnes CO₂/year by 2026.^[3][7]

Strategic Roadmap

2025: Scale Köln project to 100MW, integrating carbon capture for e-methanol.^[3][7]
2030: Deploy GW-scale Hydraeon plants across Europe, targeting 1 million tonnes H₂/year.^[1][4]