Cutting-Edge Saudi Hydrogen Technology Lands in Hefei, Accelerating Commercialization of Ultra-Low Iridium PEM Membrane Electrode Assemblies

HEFEI — The National Innovation Center par Excellence (NICE) recently completed a major overseas technology transfer: a PEM water electrolysis hydrogen production technology from Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has officially landed in Hefei, accompanied by the establishment of a project company. Focusing on the engineering development and mass production of ultra-low iridium membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) for PEM water electrolysis, this initiative marks NICE's first landed technology transfer project from Saudi Arabia.

PEM water electrolysis represents a core technological pathway in the green hydrogen sector. However, its anodic reaction relies heavily on iridium, a scarce precious metal, resulting in high costs that restrict large-scale adoption. Drastically reducing iridium loading while maintaining performance, stability, and scalability remains a critical global challenge for the hydrogen industry.

The underlying technology originates from Professor Zhang Huabin's research team at KAUST. NICE signed a cooperation agreement with the team in July, with its subsidiary—the Anhui Yangtze Delta Innovation Institute—providing dedicated proof-of-concept funding to launch the "Mass Production Scale-Up of Ultra-Low Iridium MEA for PEM Water Electrolysis" project.

As of August, the newly formed project company has constructed a multi-tier integrated R&D laboratory spanning catalyst synthesis, slurry preparation, MEA coating, and kilowatt-scale testing and validation.