The overarching objective of the "Innovation Lab for Water Electrolysis (InnoEly)" is to construct a comprehensive toolkit for the characterization and modeling of technical water electrolyzers. This initiative is mainly focused on facilitating the production of green hydrogen. The project aims to contribute substantially to further reductions in cost and improvements in efficiency, thereby aligning with the benchmarks set by the German Federal Government's National Hydrogen Strategy, which specifies an electrolysis capacity of 5 GW by 2030 and 10 GW by 2035.

In the context of this project, a multifaceted approach is employed, considering all three categories of electrolysis technologies that are presently available in the market: Alkaline Electrolysis (AEL), Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysis (PEMEL), and High-Temperature Electrolysis (HTEL). The initiative aims to bridge the developmental continuum from material and component innovation to the comprehensive design of water electrolysis systems. It should be noted that the viewpoints and requirements of a diverse range of stakeholders—including end-users and system, component, and material manufacturers—are actively incorporated into the project's framework. As part of the empirical validation process, the toolkit under development will be rigorously tested and incrementally refined using optimized AEL components as a representative case study.

In summary, InnoEly is poised to optimize the value-chain potential of the hydrogen economy in the region of Lower Saxony. The initiative seeks to amplify the symbiotic relationship between academic research and industrial practice, enabling a focused and data-driven advancement of electrolysis technologies.