Industrialization of PEM electrolyzer production: Development of a digital image as a tool for energy system planning

The European Union's energy system is to be decarbonized with the help of green hydrogen, among other technologies. This requires a significant reduction in the manufacturing costs of PEM electrolyzers. Achieving this goal requires industrialization of PEM electrolyzer production, which is currently still manufactory like, while simultaneously ensuring energy-efficient production. While previous literature has focused on the automated manufacturing process of PEM electrolysis stacks, this paper addresses the issue of energy efficiency in series manufacturing. It describes the structure of a digital image of a stack factory and offers solutions for energy system planning based on simulation results. This digital image serves as an innovative tool for plant expansion and modification planning. Our findings suggest that using digital images facilitates the identification of energy drivers, enables flexible energy consumption, and provides concepts for decentralized energy supply, thereby marking an essential step towards sustainable and cost-effective series production. • Digital developing process for energy-efficient manufacturing of electrolyzers. • Optimization of the manufacturing process of PEM electrolysis stacks. • Reduction of emissions in the production of future PEM electrolysis stacks. • Identification and flexibilization of energy drivers using a digital image. • Using a digital image for energy-efficient modification planning of factories.