The Technical University of Munich carried out the V0‑2 sub‑project of the P2X‑2 consortium, focusing on the exploration, validation and implementation of Power‑to‑X concepts. The work was split among three chairs: Theoretical Chemistry (TUM‑THEO), Technical Electrochemistry (TUM‑TEC) and Renewable and Sustainable Energy Systems (TUM‑ENS). The project ran from September 2019 to August 2022, with a cost‑neutral extension until February 2023 to complete ageing studies and further analyses that were delayed by the COVID‑19 pandemic.

TUM‑THEO developed an ab‑initio thermodynamic framework that was originally applied to pure iridium oxide catalysts. In V0‑2 the method was transferred to ruthenium oxide and to core‑shell particles with reduced noble‑metal content. The calculations predict that thin layers of noble‑metal oxides deposited on TiO₂ exhibit higher stability above the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) potential while maintaining comparable activity, suggesting that Ru‑oxide could replace Ir‑oxide in future electrolyzers. To interpret spectroscopic data, the chair created efficient atomistic models using force fields and semi‑empirical density functional theory, which were trained on first‑principles databases with machine‑learning techniques. These models enable rapid screening of structural variations and their impact on OER overpotentials and particle stability.

TUM‑TEC concentrated on the optimisation of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzer components. Starting in Q3 2019, the team reduced iridium loading on the anode while developing a microporous layer (MPL) on the porous transport layer (PTL). The aim was to produce membrane‑electrode assemblies (MEAs) with up to a ten‑fold lower Ir content than the current state of the art. Despite pandemic‑related delays, the project achieved all milestones after the extension. The ageing tests confirmed that the modified MEAs retain performance over extended operation, and the new MPL design improves mass transport and reduces catalyst degradation.

TUM‑ENS provided the techno‑economic and life‑cycle assessment (LCA) framework. Using an energy‑system model that incorporates the Paris Climate Agreement targets, the chair evaluated the environmental impact of PEM‑based hydrogen production. The cradle‑to‑grave LCA considered three plant sizes (250 kW, 1 MW, 10 MW) and found that the stack and plant contribute less than 0.5 % of the specific greenhouse‑gas emissions in 2020 and under 2 % by 2050. The dominant emissions arise from the electricity supply; however, the model shows a clear reduction in emissions as the electrolyzer efficiency rises from 65.9 % (LHV) in 2020 to 77.8 % in 2050. The analysis also highlighted the importance of renewable electricity mix and the potential of hydrogen transport networks, especially in the MENA region, for meeting European decarbonisation goals.

The collaboration among the three chairs was tightly integrated. TUM‑THEO supplied theoretical predictions that guided the experimental design of TUM‑TEC, while the experimental data fed back into the computational models. TUM‑ENS translated both sets of results into policy‑relevant scenarios, producing eight distinct roadmap scenarios that inform German and European hydrogen strategies. The project’s funding, identified by the grant number 03SFK2V0‑2, supported personnel, travel, and the cost‑neutral extension that ensured the completion of the ageing studies and the final LCA and techno‑economic analyses. The combined effort demonstrates a coherent pathway from fundamental catalyst design to industrially relevant electrolyzer optimisation and environmental assessment, advancing the feasibility of low‑cost, high‑performance Power‑to‑X technologies.