scaling sustainable Anodes for efficIent water ElectroLysis

ARIEL (scaling sustainable Anodes for efficIent water ElectroLysis) seeks to demonstrate and validate a scalable process for the synthesis, activation, and implementation of non-platinum-group catalysts for water electrolysis a bottleneck on the path to the projected gigawatt deployment of this technology that is needed to meet carbon emission targets. We have previously demonstrated, at the lab-scale, the feasibility and potential of cobalt-based anodes as alternative to iridium in proton-exchange membrane water electrolysers (PEMWE), achieving activity and stability at PEMWE-relevant current densities (Science 384, 1373, 2024). ARIEL aims to build on these results translating original, non-scalable synthesis and manufacturing protocols into scalable processes that retain catalytic activity and stability. The aim is to demonstrate a process compatible with kg-synthesis and activation, prototyping electrodes up to 400 cm2; and externally validating these, as a prelude to the potential commercial exploitation of this invention. ARIEL will further assess the sensitivity of the different parts of the process on reliability, and perform scale-informed technoeconomic and lifecycle analysis to evaluate differentexploitation schemes.