James Cropper (formally TFP Hydrogen Products), a leading provider of high-performance coatings for PEM water electrolyzer components, today announces plans for a threefold increase in their US coating production capacity in the coming year. This significant expansion is necessary to meet rapidly increasing demand for their coatings which improve the efficiency and durability of PEM water electrolyzers, one of the foremost technologies in the transition to using green hydrogen.

The company installed this specialized electrolyzer coating technology at their site in Schenectady, NY in order to provide local production and support for North American customers. The line, which can support 600MW electrolyzer capacity, is now fully operational and its rapid installation and commissioning forms the basis of the future expansion plans.

The new line is based on the specialist coating technology that James Cropper (previously TFP Hydrogen) has developed in Cornwall, UK and has been specifically designed with scalability in mind to facilitate and respond to the exponential growth within the green hydrogen market.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) anticipates that the U.S. electrolyzer capacity alone will have to increase from 0.17 gigawatts (GW) today to over 1,000 GW by 2050. The line provides a blueprint for future James Cropper coating lines worldwide, supporting the electrolyzer manufacturing hubs being established globally as the technology adoption accelerates.

James Cropper’s coating technology addresses the key material challenges in using titanium PEM electrolyzer components. It improves the performance and efficiency of the parts by reducing their interfacial contact resistance, as well as protecting parts from corrosion and reducing hydriding & embrittlement. The result is improved long term component performance & durability and an increased system lifetime, ultimately lowering the long-term cost of green hydrogen production.

Dr. David Hodgson

Managing Director

“ James Cropper is pursuing an aggressive innovation roadmap that supports the rapid growth of the hydrogen economy. Our investment in the US facility provides a local supply and technical ground support for North American electrolyzer manufacturers, as well as supporting a lean, short, supply chain, which enables rapid response to the significant demand increases the hydrogen sector continues to experience. ”

Dr. David Hodgson

Managing Director

To support the projected increase in US production capacity James Cropper (formally TFP Hydrogen) will be exhibiting its advanced electrochemical materials on stand 730 at the forthcoming Hydrogen Technology Expo in Houston Texas, USA from 28-29th June.

Solutions for the electrolysis and fuel cell markets include coatings for porous transport layers (PTLs), meshes and bipolar plates (BPPs), along a range of high-performance electrocatalyst powders and gas diffusion layer substrates (GDL).

Dr. David Hodgson will also be speaking on the 29th June at the show’s associated conference, focussing on “Reducing the Cost of Green Hydrogen Generation: Every Microvolt Counts”. The presentation will demonstrate how TFP Hydrogen’s materials help to reduce the total lifetime cost of green hydrogen production and enable PEM electrolyzers to progress towards achieving the ‘Hydrogen Shot’ – a DOE initiative that seeks to reduce the coats of clean hydrogen by 80% to $1 per 1 kilogram in 1 decade (“1 1 1”).

To register for the Hydrogen Technology Expo visit: www.hydrogen-expo.com/