The German Aerospace Center (DLR) carried out the “Alkaline Electrolysis” (ALELY) project from 1 September 2021 to 30 April 2023, in partnership with the utilities EWE and Enapter and the chemical company Evonik. The consortium was funded by a German federal research programme, with the DLR’s two institutes – the Technical Institute (TT) and the Vehicle Engineering (VE) division – providing the scientific expertise, instrumentation, and analytical methods required to meet the project objectives. After the unexpected withdrawal of EWE and Enapter, the remaining partners re‑scoped the work, and the DLR completed the structural characterisation of half‑coated anion‑exchange membrane electrolyzer (AEMEL) components in collaboration with Evonik. The project’s final deliverables include a detailed techno‑economic assessment, performance data, and a set of publications.

Technically, the ALELY effort focused on the structural investigation of membrane‑electrode assemblies (MEAs) to correlate loss mechanisms with observable damage patterns. The DLR measured the current‑density distribution in the improved cell and stack designs, using a liquid‑cell atomic force microscope (AFM) that was installed in mid‑April 2023. This enabled in‑situ characterisation of the ionomer behaviour within the catalyst layer under realistic operating conditions. The data obtained informed optimisation of both cell construction and material selection, targeting enhanced durability. Although pre‑qualification, performance, and long‑term laboratory tests of a full electrolyser were planned, they could not be realised due to the partner exits. Nevertheless, the DLR performed single‑cell and stack characterisation, providing key performance metrics that underpin the techno‑economic model.

The techno‑economic analysis revealed that, for a production rate of 100 units per year, the total system cost is 129 284 EUR, corresponding to 2 351 EUR per kilowatt‑ac (kWAC). This figure exceeds earlier studies that placed system costs below 1 000 EUR/kWAC for multi‑megawatt systems, largely because more than half of the cost is attributed to the balance‑of‑plant (BoP) – gas‑liquid separators, hydrogen purification, cooling, and other operational subsystems. The analysis estimates a system price of 3 526 EUR/kWAC. With an electricity price of 0.05 EUR/kWh, 4 000 full‑load hours per year, a weighted average cost of capital of 10 %, and a degradation rate of 0.12 % per 1 000 h, the levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH) is calculated at 8.54 EUR/kg. Investment costs account for 62.1 % of the total, while electricity costs represent 33.3 %.

Financially, the DLR expended 393 526.76 EUR on the ALELY project, with 95 % allocated to personnel. Material costs were 2 941.90 EUR, and a specific depreciation expense of 16 460 EUR was incurred for the AFM liquid‑cell and associated electrochemical kit. The project’s scope, timeline, and deliverables were governed by the project sponsor, and the remaining work was completed within the agreed deadline of 30 April 2023. The results, including the MEA characterisation data, current‑density maps, and the techno‑economic model, are slated for publication in peer‑reviewed journals and will inform future design and optimisation of alkaline electrolyser systems.