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CASE STUDY · GREEN HYDROGEN

Hydrogen electrolyser · RuO₂-coated NiMesh — 94.3% Faradaic efficiency, 1,000-hour durability

The ruthenium-dioxide-coated GTX NiMesh was benchmarked at the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore at 94.3% Faradaic efficiency under a 1,000-hour durability run — catalyst performance inside the platinum-coated envelope at a fraction of the critical-metal cost. Platinum-substitution economics for 100 GW European electrolyser build-out.

Context

Grid-scale alkaline and PEM electrolyser economics are gated by catalyst cost. The incumbent catalyst material is platinum — listed as a critical raw material under the EU CRMA, geographically concentrated, and with benchmark pricing volatile on geopolitical news. Ruthenium dioxide (RuO₂) on a nickel substrate has been theoretically attractive for years; the question was whether it could deliver platinum-equivalent Faradaic efficiency under sustained operation.

Research collaboration

The Indian Institute of Science Bangalore agreed to benchmark the GTX RuO₂-coated NiMesh against the standard platinum-coated substrate under hydrogen-evolution reaction (HER) conditions at 200 mA/cm² in alkaline electrolyte.

Results

The GTX RuO₂-NiMesh delivered 94.3% Faradaic efficiency across a sustained 1,000-hour durability window. The performance profile sat within the envelope normally associated with platinum-coated substrates in the same cell geometry. An ongoing 3,000-hour extension run is currently underway and is tracking within the same efficiency window.

Commercial translation

For a 100 MW electrolyser deployment, the catalyst-cost saving exceeds USD 2 million per stack at 2026 platinum benchmark pricing, before accounting for the supply-security benefit of substituting one critical metal for a more abundant one. Across the European 100 GW hydrogen build-out timeline, that translates into a multi-billion-dollar line-item difference.

Next-stage work

GTX is now working with early alkaline and PEM stack-integrator customers to integrate the RuO₂-NiMesh substrate into production stack geometries. Qualification sample despatch is inside five working days from specification lock.

Faradaic efficiency94.3% at 200 mA/cm²
Durability validated1,000 hours
Durability in-progress3,000 hours (ongoing)
ElectrolyteAlkaline KOH
SubstrateNP1 NiMesh · 100-200 mesh · 0.025 mm wire
CoatingRuthenium dioxide (RuO₂)
ValidatorIISc Bangalore
IISc Bangalore · RuO₂-NiMesh HER benchmark

Citations

  • IISc Bangalore · Electrolyser-substrate Faradaic efficiency dossier.
  • European Commission · Critical Raw Materials Act (2023/1757).
  • European Commission · EU Hydrogen Strategy · 100 GW electrolyser deployment trajectory.
  • ISO 22734 · Hydrogen generators using water electrolysis — Industrial applications.

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