Cranfield University (UK) – Pilot Plant

Located at Cranfield University, our flagship solar-to-hydrogen pilot plant is a pivotal site where we are conducting trials to evaluate our technology on two different hydrogen electrolyser types including Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) and Alkaline (AEM). This site is currently hosting A/B trials to evaluate two primary electrolyser technologies, integrating them with our proprietary HyWaves power management and control system. The pilot is powered by a 5B Maverick solar array (50kW), supplied by Lightsource BP. By integrating solar power directly with electrolysis, we are able to reduce the reliance on grid electricity, leading to more affordable and environmentally friendly hydrogen production.

A PEM electrolyser provided by HiPower, uses a bespoke arrangement of two identical stacks to enable a direct real time comparison of the performance of the conventional power electronics (Solar Inverter + AC/DC Rectifier) with the HyWaves DC based system.

An Alkaline electrolyser supplied by our partnership with ZTT is under development and expected to be commissioned at the site in Q3 2025. This will allow HyWaves to demonstrate the technology on the dominating share of the systems used in green hydrogen production.

These trials are designed not only to compare the performance and efficiency of each electrolyser but also to assess any potential risks of cell degradation over time, which is a critical factor in the longevity and reliability of electrolyser systems.

The pilot plant at Cranfield serves as a key part of our ongoing technology validation. Data collected from these trials will provide invaluable insights into how each system performs under real-world conditions, helping us refine our approach and optimise hydrogen production using solar energy. HyWaves is using the site as a testbed to showcase the benefits and validate the technology before progressing to commercial scale deployment. Alongside the core Hydrogen systems, we are working with other partners to showcase a multi energy vector ecosystem that supports the use of battery energy storage systems and energy off taking, including hydrogen and an EV charging capability in partnership with Lotus Flash Charge.