Elogen, CNRS and Université Paris-Saclay create a joint laboratory to facilitate industrial-scale production of green hydrogen

Hydrogen is a key lever in successfully ensuring the transition towards a low-carbon society, in all sectors of the economy. PEM (proton exchange membrane) electrolysis is one of the routes towards the industrial scale production of hydrogen, while guaranteeing a minimal carbon footprint.

With the creation of a joint laboratory, Elogen, Université Paris-Saclay and CNRS aim to improve current PEM electrolysis processes and explore the use of the different materials available in quantity to accelerate large-scale green hydrogen production.

The joint laboratory will be located at the Orsay Institute of Molecular Chemistry and Materials (ICMMO - CNRS/Université Paris-Saclay), one of France's leading research laboratories in chemistry, with a focus on organic and inorganic chemistry as well as molecular and materials sciences. It will bring together the scientific expertise of ICMMO's team for Research and Innovation in Electrochemistry for Energy (ERIEE - Equipe de recherche et d'innovation en électrochimie pour l'énergie) in PEM water electrolysis, hydrogen storage and purification, and that of the Elogen teams, with more than 25 years of expertise in the design, manufacturing and marketing of electrolysers.

This new laboratory follows on from the collaboration agreement signed in December 2021 between Elogen and Université Paris-Saclay to strengthen ties forged over more than 20 years, and is part of a wider context of actions undertaken around energy as a societal challenge. These include initiatives within the Institute for Sustainable Energy (IES), supported by Université Paris-Saclay and in which CNRS is a stakeholder, but also within the Campus des Métiers et des Qualifications (CMQ) "Energie Durable (EDu)" or via the Compétences et Métiers d'Avenir (CMA) Hydrogène et technologies avancées des systèmes énergétiques (HTase) project, which are coordinated by Université Paris-Saclay and in which CNRS and Elogen are partners. 

The creation of the joint laboratory will also contribute to the training of young researchers, including two CIFRE (Industrial Convention for Training through Research) doctoral students, recruited in this framework.
 

Signing of a partnership agreement for the launch of a joint research laboratory. From left to right: Jean-Baptiste Choimet, Managing Director of Elogen, Estelle Iacona, President of Université Paris-Saclay, Melchior Faure, Head of development for joint laboratories at the Corporate Relations Department at CNRS. © Univ. Paris-Saclay