Solution 1 · Proven, contracted
Solution 1 on the Supercritical electrochemical platform. A continuous, membraneless, high-pressure electrolyser: no iridium, no PFAS, no compressor, delivering hydrogen at the pressures industry actually needs.
The challenge
A century of electrolyser development has reached its limit. The world needs something fundamentally different.
Incumbent electrolyser technologies have been in development for over a century. Demand has transformed due to the climate crisis. The technology has remained stagnant. Energy cost is the dominant variable in green hydrogen economics and no one is moving the needle.
Over 90% of today's hydrogen demand requires delivery at pressure. Ammonia, refining, methanol. Every incumbent electrolyser delivers low-pressure gas and passes the compression problem downstream. Compressors are expensive, unreliable, and an operator's worst nightmare.
Iridium. PFAS. Rare earth metals. The materials underpinning PEM technology are scarce, expensive, and geopolitically exposed. Scaling green hydrogen on this foundation is not a credible pathway to cost parity or energy security.
Technical specifications
Every figure here represents a genuine step-change versus incumbent technology. These are not projections. They are measured values from our operating system.
Core advantages
Supercritical pressurises feed water rather than compressing output gas. Hydrogen and oxygen are delivered at 150–220 bara directly from the electrolyser. Compressors are an operator's worst nightmare: capital intensive, mechanically complex, and a single point of failure. We eliminate them entirely.
Renewable electricity is the dominant cost driver in green hydrogen production. At a system energy consumption of approximately 46 kWh per kilogram of hydrogen at 200 bar (86% HHV), Supercritical's electrolyser delivers a step-change versus the 50–55 kWh/kgH₂ typical of alkaline and PEM systems. That figure is measured at the AC input, fully inclusive of losses, and assumes nothing for free (no waste-heat credit).
No iridium, PFAS, or rare earth metals anywhere in the stack. Our all-metal design uses mass-manufactured industrial materials available at scale, with no geopolitical supply chain exposure. At end of life, the stack is fully recyclable through existing metal recycling infrastructure.
The absence of a membrane removes the primary failure mode and replacement cost in conventional electrolysers. It also removes a key constraint on what electrolyte chemistries can be used, a property that becomes significant as the platform expands beyond water splitting.
How it works
Feed water is pressurised to operating pressure before entering the system. Pumping liquid is orders of magnitude more energy-efficient than compressing gas.
Pressurised water passes through the membraneless electrolyser cell. Electrical current splits water into hydrogen and oxygen at high pressure and intermediate temperature.
Hydrogen and oxygen are separated inline using passive phase separation. No moving parts, no membrane.
Hydrogen exits the system at 150–220 bara. Ready for storage, pipeline injection, or direct process feed, with no compressor required.
Technology comparison
Applications
Haber-Bosch requires hydrogen at pressure. Supercritical's electrolyser feeds directly into the synthesis loop, eliminating the compressor and dramatically reducing CAPEX and operating costs for green ammonia production.
Green methanol synthesis and Fischer-Tropsch e-fuel production both require high-pressure hydrogen as a feedstock. Supercritical delivers it directly, removing the compression cost that currently makes these processes uncompetitive.
Refineries consume hydrogen at high pressure continuously. Steel production requires high-temperature heat that only hydrogen can cleanly provide. Both demand the continuous, high-pressure output that only Supercritical delivers.
Running green hydrogen 24/7 requires storage. Whether pressure vessels or salt caverns, storage demands high-pressure input. Supercritical fills vessels directly from the electrolyser, with no compression step and no mechanical failure risk.
The WhiskHy programme demonstrates on-site hydrogen production for Scotch whisky distilleries, replacing fossil fuels in one of Scotland's most iconic industries and proving the technology in a regulated, real-world environment.
Mining fleets, smelters and processing facilities represent some of the hardest emissions to abate. The Zero Mining programme with BHP demonstrates the pathway to hydrogen-powered heavy industry at scale.
Applications
Ammonia, methanol and mining decarbonisation are applications of HyPress® hydrogen, delivered with partners — not separate solutions of the platform.
Next steps
We're working with a first cohort of commercial partners.