• DRIFT Energy and Enapter have entered into an agreement to develop a fully marinised AEM electrolyser designed to produce green hydrogen at sea.

• The partners will adapt existing commercial technology to a marinised standard, ensuring safety and suitability for marine and offshore installations.

• The agreement was formalised during a visit by DRIFT CEO Ben Medland to Enapter’s production facility in Italy, where development work will take place.

DRIFT Energy, a pioneer in ocean-based renewable energy, has signed a collaboration agreement with Enapter to adapt the design of their Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolyser technology for deployment at sea. The agreement was formalised during a visit by DRIFT’s CEO, Ben Medland, to Enapter’s production facility in Pisa, Italy, this week.

The partnership will accelerate development of the energy storage element of DRIFT’s technology ecosystem, paving the way for the production of over 30 energy ships currently on the company’s order book. Additionally, the technology will be available for other marine-based applications, including offshore wind, where the partners have identified strong potential for a mid-sized electrolyser unit to produce green hydrogen offshore.

Ben Medland, CEO of DRIFT Energy said: “This project sees two companies working together to develop technology that will support decarbonisation of the maritime and offshore industries. With marinised electrolyser technology, we can drive forward the production of zero emission fuel at sea using our unique energy harvesting ships. It’s another significant step towards our vision of net positive ships, and I am very excited to see this technology come to market.”

Enapter is a market leader in commercialised AEM Electrolysers and is at the forefront of research and development for AEM electrolysis, a type of water electrolysis technology used to produce green hydrogen. Marinisation involves adapting the materials and components of the electrolyser unit for use in the challenging marine environment. The design of Enapter’s AEM electrolyser will be tailored to withstand vessel motions and delivered in a form factor suitable for ship installation.

Dr. Jürgen Laakmann, CEO of Enapter commented: “We are proud that DRIFT Energy has selected our AEM electrolyzer technology for its innovative energy-harvesting sailing vessels. After evaluating available options, DRIFT chose our modular AEM platform, reflecting the robustness and scalability of our system architecture. We truly appreciate DRIFT’s confidence in Enapter, and we look forward to working closely with their team as they bring this exciting offshore concept towards deployment.”

Enapter’s headquarters are in Germany, with significant operations and a production facility in Pisa, Italy, where the main body of development work for this project will take place.

DRIFT chose Enapter for their electrolyser stacks’ robust design, which incorporates inbuilt redundancy essential for demanding offshore applications. The two companies are collaborating with classification societies to meet marine certification requirements and anticipate that the first unit suitable for maritime deployment will be ready in 2027.