What is the core challenge Antares Electrolysis is addressing, and why is it critical for scaling up green hydrogen and e-fuels today?
Antares Electrolysis is addressing a central obstacle in the transition to a net-zero energy system: the absence of industrially mature, cost-competitive, and scalable electrolyzer stacks—particularly based on Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) technology—that can unlock the large-scale production of green hydrogen and synthetic fuels.
Core Challenges in the AEM Electrolyzer Domain
1. Immaturity and Durability of AEM Membranes
Unlike Alkaline Water Electrolysis (AWE) and Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) technologies, AEM electrolysis is at an earlier stage of technological maturity. A primary limitation lies in the chemical and mechanical durability of the membranes, which must operate in harsh alkaline environments over extended periods. Enhancing long-term stability while maintaining electrochemical performance is a prerequisite for industrial adoption.
2. Fragmented and Unconsolidated Stack Architectures
The design landscape for AEM stacks is currently fragmented. Multiple architectural approaches coexist on the market, with no dominant design standard established. This heterogeneity presents a major strategic challenge: Antares must navigate a broad technological space and make the right design decisions in terms of flow field geometries, sealing solutions, and integration strategies. The success of the initiative depends on selecting configurations that combine robustness, manufacturability, and long-term reliability.
3. The Need to Lower the Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH)
The competitiveness of green hydrogen hinges on reducing the Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH). While the primary component of LCOH is typically OPEX—driven largely by the cost of renewable electricity—the CAPEX associated with electrolyzer stacks also plays a significant role. Antares’ objective is to reduce both the production cost and market price of its electrochemical stacks by optimizing design for manufacturing, selecting suitable materials, and minimizing complexity without sacrificing performance. This reduction is essential to enable green hydrogen to emerge as a viable energy vector across industrial and mobility sectors.
Strategic Vision and Impact
Antares is committed to developing a new generation of AEM electrolyzers designed for:
- Long operational lifetime, achieved through careful selection of materials and control of degradation mechanisms;
- Manufacturing scalability, integrating cost-reducing features from the early design phase;
- System integration and traceability, through a modular stack architecture equipped for data acquisition, quality control, and predictive maintenance.
Given the geopolitical and industrial urgency of decarbonization, these efforts contribute to bridging the gap between laboratory-scale research and full industrial deployment. Antares positions itself as a technology enabler for the large-scale rollout of green hydrogen and e-fuels, supporting the broader goals of energy security, emissions reduction, and strategic autonomy.
How does your AEM electrolyzer stack differ from existing technologies like PEM or alkaline systems in terms of performance, cost, and sustainability?
The Antares Electrolysis AEM (Anion Exchange Membrane) stack introduces a novel approach that strategically integrates the advantages of both PEM and alkaline systems while mitigating their most critical limitations. Its differentiating elements lie in material selection, performance under operating conditions, and long-term sustainability.
Compared to PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) Electrolyzers
1. Elimination of Iridium Usage
PEM systems typically require iridium-based catalysts at the anode due to the acidic environment in which they operate. Iridium is a rare and expensive metal, with limited availability and high criticality for Europe. Antares’ AEM stack operates in alkaline conditions, which allows the complete substitution of iridium with earth-abundant and cost-effective catalysts, such as nickel-iron composites or ruthenium nanoparticles, dramatically reducing material costs and dependency on critical raw materials.
2. Avoidance of Highly Fluorinated Membranes (PFAS)
PEM electrolyzers rely on perfluorosulfonic acid membranes (e.g., Nafion), which are highly fluorinated and increasingly scrutinized under regulatory frameworks (e.g., PFAS restrictions). In contrast, AEM membranes used in the Antares stack are either only mildly fluorinated or completely fluorine-free, thus reducing the environmental impact associated with fluorinated compounds and improving long-term sustainability from both a health and regulatory standpoint.
Compared to Alkaline Water Electrolyzers (AWE)
1. Higher Current Density and Compactness
Traditional AWE systems operate at low current densities, resulting in large-scale hardware for a given hydrogen output. The Antares AEM stack is designed for high current density operation, which translates into higher hydrogen production per unit volume. This enables more compact systems and a significant reduction in stack-related CAPEX, particularly valuable for distributed or space-constrained applications.
2. Capability to Operate with Differential Pressure
Conventional alkaline systems cannot sustain differential pressure between anode and cathode compartments, requiring additional pressurization systems and complex balance-of-plant components—particularly for the anodic side—thereby increasing overall capital expenditure. In contrast, the Antares AEM stack can operate safely under differential pressure, enabling simplified system design, improved hydrogen purity, and a reduction in BoP complexity and cost.
You serve different customer segments, from labs to large-scale integrators. Can you briefly walk us through how each of them uses your products or services?
Antares Electrolysis addresses two distinct customer segments—research laboratories and industrial hydrogen producers—with dedicated offerings tailored to their specific needs and use cases.
1. Research Laboratories and Universities
For academic and R&D institutions, Antares provides single-cell laboratory fixtures of various sizes (e.g., 5 cm², 25 cm², 100 cm²). These are precision-engineered devices designed for the electrochemical characterization of membranes, electrodes, and catalyst layers under real-world pressure and temperature conditions. While this line of products is not Antares’ core business, it plays a valuable strategic role.
By commercializing laboratory cells, Antares maintains strong relationships with leading universities and research centers, ensuring continuous exposure to emerging scientific developments and fostering collaboration. This connection to the academic world supports a culture of innovation and strengthens the company’s position in early-stage technology scouting.
2. Industrial Hydrogen Production
Antares’ core industrial product is its proprietary AEM electrolyzer stack, designed for decentralized green hydrogen production at scales ranging from 10 to 100 kW and beyond. Unlike the lab cells, these stacks are intended for commercial deployment, requiring rigorous attention to certifications, safety standards, reliability, and long-term warranties. The path to market involves comprehensive validation, manufacturing scale-up, and system integration with balance-of-plant components.
Strategic Synergy Between the Two Lines
The rationale behind serving both segments lies in the technological overlap between laboratory fixtures and industrial stack design. Many of the tools, methods, and engineering skills involved in prototyping and validating laboratory cells are directly applicable to the design and optimization of industrial electrolyzers. This dual approach enhances the agility of Antares’ R&D process and allows the company to leverage a unified internal infrastructure for both precision testing and industrial development.
This diversified yet synergistic business model enables Antares to remain closely connected to the forefront of electrochemical research while accelerating the deployment of scalable hydrogen technologies in the industrial market.
What are the biggest benefits for system integrators and industrial users working with Antares technology, both from a technical and commercial standpoint?
Electricity costs per kilogram of hydrogen, which is the single largest contributor to LCOH. In combination with a stack design that reduces material usage (e.g., lower nickel content), Antares provides a double leverage on both OPEX and CAPEX.
2. Competitive CAPEX per kW
By streamlining manufacturing (e.g., via reduced stack thickness and simplified components) and optimizing the bill of materials, Antares targets stack-level CAPEX below €100/kW—substantially lower than PEM and current AEM benchmarks.
3. Flexibility and Integration Readiness
The Antares stack can operate across a broad dynamic range, including partial loads below 20%, making it ideal for integration with intermittent renewables. Its modular configuration also supports flexible system scaling and rapid deployment.
4. Strategic and Technological Independence
By removing the dependence on iridium, titanium, and PFAS, Antares offers a more sustainable and geopolitically secure alternative, particularly valuable to European industrial stakeholders aiming for supply chain resilience and regulatory compliance.
What role does Antares play in decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors, and how do you quantify your climate impact?
Antares Electrolysis plays a key enabling role in the decarbonization of sectors that are beyond the reach of direct electrification, such as heavy industry, long-haul transport, and chemical synthesis. These sectors require clean molecules—not just clean electricity—and electrochemical technologies like Antares’ AEM stacks provide the critical bridge between renewable energy and carbon-neutral fuels or feedstocks.
Targeting the Toughest Emissions
Antares’ multi-process AEM stack enables the production of green hydrogen and other synthetic molecules that are fundamental to decarbonizing:
- Hydrogen production (replacing grey hydrogen):
Potential impact of 1 Gt CO₂ avoided per year, by eliminating emissions from steam methane reforming.
- CO₂ electroreduction to CO and carbon-based intermediates (used in fuels and materials):
Potential to avoid 1.5 Gt CO₂/year, especially in maritime and aviation sectors.
Nitrogen to ammonia synthesis (for green fertilizers and fuel):
Estimated 0.5 Gt CO₂/year decarbonization potential.
Together, these pathways represent a reduction of up to 6% of global CO₂ emissions, when scaled to their full potential.
Quantifying Impact per Unit
Each 100 kW Antares stack—when operated under standard conditions—can generate approximately 4,200 kg of green hydrogen per year, replacing grey hydrogen derived from methane. This results in:
- 42 metric tons of CO₂-equivalent avoided annually, per stack
- Equivalent to the emissions of approximately 7 round-trip flights between Milan and Paris
This quantification is based solely on the avoided emissions from replacing grey hydrogen and does not yet account for the additional impact of downstream applications (e.g., fuels, fertilizers).
What’s next for Antares Electrolysis: are you focusing on commercial pilots, new product development, or expanding your partner network?
Antares Electrolysis is currently advancing on two parallel fronts: customer integration and accelerated R&D.
On the commercial side, we are actively collaborating with future customers to integrate our AEM stacks into their electrolyzer systems. These partnerships are essential for validating our technology under real-world conditions and tailoring our solutions to meet the specific requirements of diverse industrial use cases.
In parallel, we are intensifying our research and development efforts to further enhance the performance, durability, and manufacturability of our stack. This includes refining key components, improving stack architecture, and preparing the product for scalable and certifiable industrial deployment.
Our goal is to consolidate a robust, high-efficiency AEM stack platform that can support widespread commercialization in the coming years—offering a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to existing technologies for the production of green hydrogen and electro-derived molecules.
