Alkaline water electrolysis is a key technology for producing hydrogen from renewable energy sources. Against the backdrop of the energy transition and the associated use of climate-friendly energy carriers such as hydrogen, Fraunhofer IFAM Dresden has, in recent years, built up extensive expertise in materials and manufacturing technology for water electrolysis electrodes. A key focus is on three-dimensional cellular metallic structures such as meshes, foams, expanded metals and fibre structures, which can be used as electrode substrates and coated with high-performance catalysts.

The new prototyping centre is now intended to facilitate the transition from laboratory-scale development to industrially relevant dimensions. The aim is to further develop new electrode concepts to a high level of technological maturity and to bridge the gap between research and industrial application. Unique in Germany, the centre provides a comprehensive infrastructure for this purpose, ranging from the manufacture of large-format electrodes and their integration into electrolysis cells to testing under realistic conditions involving high pressure and temperature. The direct integration into the existing research infrastructure for materials and manufacturing technology, as well as the analytical expertise of Fraunhofer IFAM, is a key component of the concept.

From raw materials to large-scale prototypes

The new building will be directly connected to the existing Fraunhofer IFAM Dresden complex. According to current plans, it will provide a usable floor area of around 462 square metres, of which approximately 369 square metres will be laboratory space, directly linked to the existing laboratory and pilot plant facilities.

The technical infrastructure will be specifically designed for the manufacture and testing of large-format electrodes. Plans include, amongst other things, facilities for coating and heat treatment processes, as well as technologies for the assembly and connection of electrodes and electrolysis cells. Electrolysis test cells and corresponding test benches with an electrolysis power of up to 40 kW are intended to enable the investigation of the operational characteristics and long-term stability of electrodes on a square-metre scale.

This will create a research infrastructure at the Dresden site where materials development, manufacturing technology, component development and testing can be closely integrated. The existing analytical expertise of Fraunhofer IFAM can be directly incorporated into the development process.

A bridge between research and industrial application

With the prototype centre, Fraunhofer IFAM Dresden is, in particular, strengthening the transfer of new electrode and manufacturing technologies from the laboratory to application-oriented scales. This will enable companies, in future, to work alongside researchers to develop and validate new materials, manufacturing processes and electrode concepts under conditions close to those found in industry.

For Fraunhofer IFAM, the new building represents an important strategic step in the further expansion of hydrogen research at the Dresden site. The new infrastructure will enable the technologies developed to date to be further developed to a technology readiness level (TRL) of at least 7. This will lay the foundations for transferring research results more quickly towards industrial application and for supporting development partners from the German and international electrolysis equipment manufacturing sectors in scaling up innovative electrode and manufacturing technologies.

“With the prototype centre, we are establishing a research infrastructure in Dresden that is unprecedented in Germany in this form. Our expertise in materials, combined with a profound understanding of electrochemistry, forms the crucial foundation for the next steps in collaboration with industry. This enables us to consistently scale up our developments from the material and the electrode to industrially relevant dimensions. In doing so, we are building an important bridge between research and application, whilst at the same time strengthening Dresden’s position as a centre of research in the field of hydrogen technologies,” summarises Prof. Thomas Weißgärber, director of Fraunhofer IFAM Dresden.

Scheduled for completion in summer 2028, the prototype centre will significantly complement the existing research and development capabilities of Fraunhofer IFAM Dresden and open up new opportunities for joint projects with partners from research and industry.