Together with Heraeus Precious Metals, Smoltek Hydrogen has developed next-generation, ultra-low iridium porous transport electrodes (PTEs) for proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis. As a major milestone in this partnership, the companies will initiate a rigorous 3000-hour long-term durability test in Autumn 2026.
In a joint press release the companies state that the testing campaign will specifically evaluate the long-term operational stability of Smoltek’s proprietary nanostructured iridium catalyst layer, marking a critical step toward the commercialisation and large scale industrialisation of cost-effective green hydrogen production.
This joint effort directly addresses one of the primary bottlenecks in scaling PEM electrolysis: the high cost of iridium. By drastically reducing the required loading without sacrificing durability. Smoltek Hydrogen and Heraeus Precious Metals are paving the way for the expansion of the global green hydrogen infrastructure.
“Our nanostructured layer offers a unique capability to maximize charge and mass transport properties within a thickness of just a few microns. By optimising this specific catalyst architecture, we can simultaneously maintain high electrolyser efficiency while successfully reducing the amount of iridium needed to below 0.1 mg/cm2 loading.”
Fabian Wenger, Head of R&D at Smoltek Hydrogen The collaboration leverages Smoltek’s innovative nanotechnology alongside Heraeus Precious Metals’ world-class expertise in precious metal electrocatalysts and material analysis. Testing and validation are central to transitioning this breakthrough from the laboratory to industrial application. Heraeus Precious Metals will lead the upcoming testing phase, bringing extensive resources to evaluate the catalyst’s performance under realistic operational conditions.
“We are looking forward to commencecommencing this extensive testing campaign and to provide the critical material analysis required to validate this technology. With our capabilities we will continue to support all steps towards an industrialization of these highly promising ultra-low iridium PTEs with our comprehensive analytical and testing capabilities,” added Christian Gebauer, Head of Innovation at the Hydrogen Systems Division of Heraeus Precious Metals.