Bosch to develop components for hydrogen electrolysis

German technology and automation company Bosch has announced it is venturing into the business of hydrogen generation with the development of components for electrolysers, which use electrolysis to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

“We cannot afford to delay climate action any longer, so we aim to use Bosch technology to support the rapid expansion of hydrogen production in Europe,” said Dr Stefan Hartung, Chairman of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH, at the presentation of the company’s annual figures.

“To do this, we will leverage our know-how in fuel-cell technology,” added Dr Markus Heyn, member of the board of management of Bosch and Chairman of the Mobility Solutions business sector. Drawing on this expertise, Bosch will assign the development of electrolyser components to the Mobility Solutions business sector, investing up to €500 million by the end of the decade.

In light of energy diversification, the move away from fossil fuels, and the need to reduce CO₂ emissions, demand for green hydrogen is growing rapidly — not only in energy-intensive industries such as steel, chemicals and heavy-duty freight, but also in private real estate. According to the EU, demand is set to rise to some 10 million metric tons a year by 2030. Bosch forecasts that the global market for electrolyser components will increase to a volume of around €14 billion over the same period, with Europe set to see the highest rates of growth. To help business and society reduce dependency on fossil fuels and harness new forms of energy, Bosch intends to invest some €3 billion in climate-neutral technology, such as electrification and hydrogen, over the next three years.

As in the fuel cell, the key component of an electrolyser is a stack, which comprises several hundred individual cells connected in series. In each of these cells, electricity is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. This is the reverse of what takes place in a fuel cell, where electricity is generated by combining hydrogen and oxygen. In both cases, the chemical reaction is facilitated by means of a proton-exchange membrane (PEM).

Bosch is collaborating with a number of partners to develop a way of combining the electrolyser stack with a control unit, power electronics and various sensors to create a ‘smart module’. With pilot plants scheduled to commence operation in the coming year, the company plans to supply these smart modules to manufacturers of electrolysis plants and industrial service providers from 2025 onward.

Using a simple process, Bosch will incorporate a number of these compact modules. They can then be used both in smaller units with capacity of up to 10 MW and in gigawatt-rated onshore and offshore plants — whether in new-build projects or in existing plants for conversion to the production of green hydrogen. To maximise the efficiency of hydrogen production and extend the service life of the stack, the smart modules are to be connected to the Bosch cloud. At the same time, the use of a modular design for the electrolysers is expected to make maintenance more flexible: any scheduled work will require the shutdown of certain sections of the plant only, instead of the entire facility. Bosch is also working on service concepts that will include the recycling of components in order to promote a circular economy.

The company says it firmly believes in hydrogen as a future fuel, and is also working on both stationary and mobile fuel cells. One intended use for the former is as small, on-site power plants for cities, data centres, shopping malls, business parks and as charge spots for electric vehicles. Bosch plans to use mobile fuel cells to facilitate the climate-neutral shipping of goods and commodities, initially by truck. The company’s range of vehicle-related products in this field ranges from individual sensors to core components such as the electric air compressor, the stack and complete fuel-cell modules. Production is expected to start this year.

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