
Electrolyser manufacturer Quest One has started construction of a demonstration plant for its Modular Hydrogen Platform PEM electrolyser in Augsburg, Germany. The electrolyser will be installed in a test stand at the MAN Energy Solutions Turbocharger Performance Centre on its Augsburg site where it will generate data in test operation for continuous optimisation. With the demonstration plant, Quest One is aiming to turn large electrolysers into a tangible experience for customers – operational constraints often mean that these plants cannot be viewed while they are in use at customers’ sites. The joint project aims to change this: from mid-2025, it will be possible for potential customers as well as for project developers and EPCs to visit the demonstration plant, hopefully giving them insights into the construction phases, dimensions, inner workings and infrastructure.
A second objective of the joint project with MAN is to continuously optimise the scale of PEM electrolysers on the basis of field data and to further refine both the system operation as well as the installation and service concept.
“It is essential to have industrial-scale electrolysers to meet the huge demand for green hydrogen in the future. With our new hydrogen demonstration plant we will show that the technology for industrial-scale hydrogen production already exists. In particular, our PEM electrolysis technology is perfectly suited for use with renewable energy sources,” says Jürgen Klöpffer, chairman of the advisory board of Quest One and member of the executive board at MAN ES. “The scalable system can be flexibly adapted to increasing hydrogen demands as the industry ramps up” Michael Meister, COO at Quest One.
Construction started at the end of 2024 with the installation of the freshwater treatment. The plant will be assembled over the course of 2025, so test operations can start by the beginning of 2026.
The MHP is currently the largest PEM electrolyser in Quest One’s product portfolio. It is a scalable modular system – able to create plants with an electrolysis capacity from 10 to several hundred MW. Each 10 MW block is equipped with integrated process water treatment and an electrical power supply.
Development of the demonstration plant is being funded as part of the PEP.IN research project, a sub-project of the H2Giga hydrogen lighthouse project of the German Federal ministry of Education and Research. PEP.IN is exploring new processes for the series production of PEM electrolysers. The aim is to make green hydrogen affordable and competitive. The scope of funding particularly covers feasibility and viability studies as well as the planning of the necessary infrastructure.