Power to Hydrogen, a Columbus, Ohio-based developer of anion exchange membrane electrolyzer systems, has delivered and begun installation of a half-megawatt AEM electrolyzer at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium, marking what the company describes as the world's first deployment of 250-kilowatt AEM electrolyzer stacks at commercial scale. Commissioning is planned for September 2026.

A First-of-a-Kind Commercial Deployment

The system represents Power to Hydrogen's first commercial deployment of its M-Class hybrid AEM electrolyzers, a platform the company has designed to scale up to 25 megawatts for high-demand industrial environments.

The half-megawatt configuration at Antwerp-Bruges is built on two 250-kilowatt stack modules and is intended to demonstrate green hydrogen production under real operating conditions in an active industrial port environment.

Once commissioned, the project will be the first AEM system operating at this scale in a high-throughput port setting, according to the company. Power to Hydrogen said the installation is designed to establish a repeatable, installable configuration and generate third-party validation intended to de-risk and accelerate future multi-megawatt deployments.

Paul Matter, CEO of Power to Hydrogen, framed the project as a proof point for the broader industry. "Renewable hydrogen is moving from pilots to infrastructure and the winners will be the companies that can manufacture, deliver, and operate at industrial scale," he said.

"Bringing our system to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges is a tangible step toward financeable deployment: it proves we can build and ship industry-ready hardware, integrate into a live site, and commission a megawatt-class AEM platform designed for renewable load-following."

Technology Design and Cost Claims

The M-Class system is engineered for what Power to Hydrogen describes as dynamic operation suited to renewable energy sources. The company says the system achieves sub-50-millisecond response times for renewable load-following and operates under pressurized conditions that reduce the need for downstream compression equipment, simplifying the balance of plant.

A central feature of the AEM technology, according to Power to Hydrogen, is its use of low-cost materials such as steel and nickel in place of the precious metals, including iridium, used in proton exchange membrane electrolyzers.

The company claims this materials substitution, paired with its modular platform design, can reduce capital expenditure by up to 65 percent compared to comparable PEM electrolyzer systems.

The company describes its approach as delivering PEM-like dynamic performance through a lower-cost and more scalable materials pathway, positioning AEM as an alternative for industrial customers who require flexible, renewable-linked hydrogen production without the supply chain exposure associated with scarce critical minerals.

Commercial Offtake and Revenue Expectations

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges project is expected to generate commercial revenue from its first year of operation. Power to Hydrogen has identified Holthausen, a regional supplier of industrial gases and hydrogen-powered trucks, as the key offtake customer at launch.

The system is designed to serve additional customers over time, with demand across both mobility and industrial applications cited as the target market in the Antwerp region.

Power to Hydrogen and Port of Antwerp-Bruges have also positioned the project within a broader energy sovereignty argument. The companies said on-site electrolysis allows ports and industrial clusters to produce renewable hydrogen locally by converting renewable electricity and water at the point of use, rather than relying entirely on imported hydrogen.

The framing is one of supply diversification rather than import substitution, with local production described as sitting alongside imported hydrogen to give customers more flexibility and stronger supply security.

Rob Smeets, CEO of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, said the project represents a concrete step in supporting the demonstration of scalable, flexible technologies in Europe. "It's through these partnerships that we accelerate the shift toward a resilient, strong European future," he said.

Utility Backing and Program Origins

The project has roots in Power to Hydrogen's selection as the 2026 winner of Free Electrons, a global utility-sponsored innovation program. The Free Electrons program required a commercial demonstration under real operating conditions as a success criterion, which opened the path for Power to Hydrogen to site the project in the NextGen District at Port of Antwerp-Bruges.

Free Electrons is sponsored by a group of utilities including American Electric Power, EDP, E.ON, ESB, Origin Energy, and CLP. Power to Hydrogen said several of these utilities have since become investors in the company.

Daniel Joisten, Head of Technology Scouting and Innovation at E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions, said the Antwerp-Bruges installation represents an important step for utility confidence in the technology. "Utilities invest in technologies when there's a credible path to performance in the field and repeatable deployments," he said.

"This project at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges is an important step in proving flexible, renewable load-following AEM electrolysis at commercial scale and in building confidence that these systems can be deployed broadly."

Path to Multi-Megawatt Scale

Power to Hydrogen said the September commissioning will serve as a blueprint for scaling deployments across Europe. The company described the project as enabling European industrial customers to produce hydrogen feedstock domestically from their own renewable power, in addition to importing it from global supply networks.

The M-Class platform that underpins the Antwerp-Bruges installation is designed to scale to 25 megawatts, and the company said the validated configuration from this first commercial deployment is intended to lower the technical and financial risk for prospective customers considering larger installations. The project's public launch is planned for September 2026.

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