R&D Watch: Alkaline vs PEM vs AEM Electrolysers

Electrolyser selection is a CAPEX-versus-flexibility trade-off. Alkaline systems are proven and cheap but respond slowly; PEM handles variable renewable input elegantly at a cost premium; AEM promises to combine the best of both but is earlier on the maturity curve.

For projects co-located with variable solar and wind, response time and turndown ratio matter as much as sticker efficiency. The right choice depends on the power profile and the offtake contract, not on which technology has the best datasheet.

Our R&D desk tracks stack-cost trajectories and degradation data to help clients avoid locking into a chemistry that a two-year roadmap will render uncompetitive.