Battery and hydrogen plant combined

The Battolyser^®, that sounds like a cool tool from Batman! Sorry to burst your bubble, but the superhero has nothing to do with it. However, it certainly is an innovative piece of technology. The Battolyser^® is a combination of a battery and a hydrogen plant. Director Mattijs Slee: ‘My generation wants to implement the energy transition as quickly as possible. We need to think and act 10 times bigger than we are currently doing. The Battolyser^® will allows us to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable world.’

The technology behind the Battolyser^® is not new, Mattijs explains. ‘About 10 years ago, TU Delft professor Fokko Mulder had a eureka moment when he discovered a technology that could store as well as produce electricity. We did a deep analysis of this technology to understand all kinds of electrochemical reactions. That technology was then further developed, and a product emerged from that which we are now marketing: the Battolyser^®.’

Producing affordable hydrogen

But what exactly is it, how does it work? Mattijs: ‘The Battolyser^® is a battery that stores electricity from wind and solar energy. Once the Battolyser^® is fully charged and there is a surplus of electricity, it can use this electricity to produce green hydrogen. This hydrogen can be stored or used immediately for industry or transport and logistics. So when electricity prices are low, you can use this to produce cheap hydrogen, and when electricity prices are high, you can feed electricity back to the grid.’

Triple sustainability

The Battolyser^® is sustainable in several ways, says Mattijs: ‘First of all, the battery function allows us to produce more solar and wind energy because we can store the surplus. Secondly, we can convert the energy into affordable green hydrogen. This, in turn, reduces CO2 emissions by replacing fossil hydrogen with sustainable hydrogen. And thirdly, the Battolyser^® is made of iron and nickel. Materials that are still in abundance, and that can easily be recycled.’ 

Clothing without CO2

According to Mattijs, hydrogen is already widely used. ‘Many people may not know this yet. It has long been widely used in industry as a raw material for making fertilisers. But it can also be the raw material for the production of nylon or polyester which, for example, can be found in the clothes I wear. It is a common component in numerous products we use every day. Much of this is still made with grey hydrogen, hydrogen produced from a fossil source such as oil, gas or coal. During this process, CO2 is produced and released into the atmosphere. And this is where the Battolyser^® can play an important role: since the Battolyser^® produces hydrogen from renewable energy such as wind and solar, no CO2 is released. This is how we accelerate the energy transition.’

‘It is about the choices we make’

Mattijs is convinced that consumers can have a major impact on sustainability. ‘In the end, it is about the choices we make. When we go to the supermarket, or buy a new car. How we go to work, by bicycle or in some other way. Our choices of products and how they are made will determine how quickly we eventually get to Net Zero, where we emit as much CO2 as we absorb.’

What does Rotterdam mean to you? Mattijs: ‘Rotterdam is the industrial heart of the Netherlands, where hydrogen is already widely used. Many of our clients are located here. A Battolyser^® can help make these businesses sustainable. The ecosystem of companies in the renewable energy industry is taking more and more shape in Rotterdam. If we work even more closely together, we can ensure an even bigger breakthrough.’

Driving force

‘I’m an optimist, my glass is always half full. The energy transition may overwhelm you, with everything that needs to change and how much it all costs. However, you can also think of it as a great opportunity to create a new, sustainable industry for the Netherlands. Let’s leave the old industry behind us and create a cleaner industry and products. Let’s build new systems that help the Netherlands move forward. I am therefore grateful to be able to run such a company as Battolyser Systems. We want to make products that are better, cheaper and more sustainable so we can scale up. Ultimately, it’s about the impact we have on society and the world by doing so, that’s what drives me.’

Many sides

Mattijs does have a tip for other entrepreneurs looking to become more sustainable: ‘We are working on industrial applications, but there are many sides to sustainability. Whether it is food, health, transport, mobility or clothing. If you have the energy and guts to innovate, now is the time. All the possibilities are there. So just do it!’