Nel’s ‘next-generation’ pressurised alkaline electrolyser is designed to simplify hydrogen production, improve efficiency and scalability and reduce costs.
After eight years of development and the successful launch of a full-scale prototype at Nel’s Herøya facility in Norway, Nel’s solution sets a new cost benchmark for large-scale electrolyser systems. Nel estimates a full-scope turnkey cost of less than $1,450 (€1,231) per kW based on a 25 MW plant, with further cost seen for larger plants. The estimates are based on 30 bar pressure delivering hydrogen with 99.99% purity.
The electrolyser is a fully modular, skid-based design, with factory-assembled tested units delivered standardised, rather than bespoke products. The system operates in a 15-bar pressurised configuration, reducing the need for downstream compression and improving overall energy efficiency. It is designed for outdoor installation.
These features are expected to reduce system capital expenditure by 40%-60% compared to solutions available today, shorten project timelines and lower execution risk.
“Customers are increasingly asking for solutions that are simpler to deploy and easier to finance,” says Todd Cartwright, Chief Commercial Officer of Nel ASA. “Interest is growing across industrial and infrastructure applications, including resilience‑driven use cases such as energy security and defence‑related applications.”
Nel’s new pressurised alkaline platform is being industrialised following a final investment decision announced in December 2025, enabling a production capacity of up to 1 GW per year at Herøya, with a roadmap to scale production up to 4 GW annually. Industrialisation of the platform is supported by a grant of up to EUR 135 million from the EU Innovation Fund, covering up to 60% of eligible industrialization costs. The support underscores the strategic importance of the technology for Europe’s clean energy transition and accelerates time to market.
You can watch the product video here
Nel unveils pressurised alkaline electrolyser for green hydrogen
