Rolls-Royce has acquired a majority stake in the German green hydrogen company Hoeller Electrolyzer. The collaboration intends to build a new range of electrolysers ready for a pilot project in 2024.

Recent developments in sustainable vehicles have seen companies moving towards hydrogen-based vehicles as opposed to solely electric vehicles. However, components of the hydrogen fuel cells are commonly constructed with expensive, precious metals such as platinum and iridium.

Eletrolysers use electricity to create hydrogen from water. Hoeller has designed an electrolyser called Prometheus as a cost-effective option. It is created using polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) stacks as a catalyst rather than platinum group metals. The system maintains efficiency while decreasing cost.