The company is investing a low double-digit million-euro amount in the AEM plant, which is scheduled to go online at the end of 2025.
“This strategic investment ties in with our business goals of further growing our pioneering membranes into a true enabler of the burgeoning green hydrogen economy,” said Goetz Baumgarten, head of the Membranes & Fibres product line at Evonik’s High Performance Polymers business line.
The DURAION® membranes produced at the AEM plant in Marl will be of a quality suitable for use in commercial electrolyzer systems. Once fully operational, the plant will have the capacity to produce enough membranes each year to support 2.5 GW of electrolysis capacity for hydrogen production. Additionally, it will be capable of manufacturing reinforced membranes, directly addressing growing customer interest in this emerging technology.
Compared to conventional electrolysis processes, AEM technology promises lower investment costs due to the use of less expensive materials for the cells. Furthermore, the technology enables high current densities and very good efficiency.
Over the past twelve months, Evonik has steadily increased the production capacity of the intermediate products used in DURAION® membranes. The construction of the Marl plant builds on this expanded capacity and represents the next step in the company’s planned growth of its membrane business.
