LONDON: Clean Power Hydrogen plc (AIM:CPH2) is the developer of market disrupting and IP-protected Membrane-Free Electrolyser (“MFE”) technology for the co-production of high purity hydrogen and above medical-grade purity oxygen.
The Company has entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) with ABE GRUPPE GmbH (“ABE”) a subsidiary of BKW Infra Services Europa SE (“BKW”) to explore the sale and integration of CPH2’s unique technology across its market activities
ABE is an integrated service provider in the field of renewable energy and energy infrastructure, covering the full value chain of energy projects. The range of services extends from engineering services and project development, through the implementation of grid and energy systems, to operations management and servicing. This is complemented by the independent certification of components and systems to ensure compliance with regulatory and technical standards.
Listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange with a market capitalisation of approximately £8 billion, parent company BKW AG has a 125-year history and 11,500 employees. It is one of the largest energy supply companies in Switzerland with a leading market position in infrastructure services. The companies have agreed to develop a partnership seeking the supply, installation, commissioning and maintenance of 175MW of electrolysers over the next 10 years.
The companies will use their combined skills and capabilities in developing opportunities across ABEs and BKWs markets for CPH2s patent protected technology. They will seek commercial opportunities to deploy equipment, installation and commissioning services along with long-term operational and maintenance activities.
Together, the companies are targeting a diverse customer base, including renewable energy producers looking to monetise curtailed wind or solar capacity, and industries where hydrogen and oxygen can boost process efficiency, such as wastewater treatment and semiconductor fabrication. It will also include sectors such as life sciences, healthcare and mobility for essential operations and data centres for long duration back-up storage and dispatch.
The announcement supports Germany’s National Hydrogen Strategy, which sets out the Federal Government’s ambition to accelerate the use of climate‑friendly hydrogen technologies. The strategy targets the deployment of up to 10GW of domestic green hydrogen production capacity by 2030, supported by significant investment in electrolysers and hydrogen infrastructure.
Commenting on the agreement, Chief Executive Officer of CPH2, Jon Duffy, said: “Together with ABE, BKW is a leading energy and infrastructure group with a significant footprint across Germany and Switzerland. This agreement reinforces the scalability and market appetite for the brand-new category of electrolyser we have developed. Our membrane-free technology offers a lower lifetime cost for producing hydrogen and above medical grade oxygen. We are pleased to be partnering with ABE and BKW to demonstrate how our electrolysers can deliver benefits across their project portfolio, and we look forward to working with them and their end-user customers.”
Daniel Lorenzen, General Manager BKW Renewable Energies and Managing Director ABE Gruppe GmbH added: “This exciting partnership builds upon CPH2s existing breakthrough 1MW membrane-free unit and expands over time with the forthcoming 5MW unit. With this technology we can offer our customers a more reliable, higher purity, lower lifetime cost of hydrogen and oxygen production for the growing decentralised energy market.”
Editor’s Analysis:
- Strategic Significance (8/10): This is a genuine Tier-1 validation for CPH2. Moving from a “disruptive startup” narrative to a partnership with an £8bn SIX-listed infrastructure giant (BKW) provides immense credibility. The 10-year, 175MW framework creates a visible pipeline that addresses the typical “pre-revenue” risk for AIM-listed green tech.
- Differentiation Point: The story rightly focuses on the membrane-free USP and co-production of oxygen. While the market talks about hydrogen, CPH2’s edge is the “above medical-grade oxygen” byproduct—a smart angle for wastewater, semiconductors, and healthcare, which are less crowded than mobility.
- Market Timing: The explicit link to Germany’s 10GW by 2030 target is crucial. ABE’s presence in Germany gives CPH2 a boots-on-the-ground EPC partner to capture that state-funded demand.
- Risk Note: The agreement is non-binding. While the MoU is detailed (including maintenance and commissioning), investors will watch for the conversion to a firm sales agreement for the first 1MW or 5MW units. The “10-year” horizon is positive, but revenue recognition will be back-end loaded.
- CEO Quote Impact: Jon Duffy’s “brand-new category” claim is bold but defensible given the IP. Daniel Lorenzen’s mention of “decentralised energy market” is key—this isn’t just mega-projects; it’s distributed generation, which plays to CPH2’s modular strengths.
- Verdict: A strong, de-risking operational update. The focus keyword should be “membrane-free electrolyser technology” to capture niche technical searches, rather than the crowded “green hydrogen” space.