Hystar eyes 4-GW electrolyser factory in Norway, plans US growth

Norwegian hydrogen technology company Hystar AS on Monday said it intends to expand its existing electrolyser factory in its home country to 4 GW and unveiled plans for a gigawatt-scale production base in North America.

The company, a spin-off of European independent research organisation SINTEF, will install additional capacity to its plant in Høvik, in the Oslo metropolitan area, which now produces 50 MW of electrolysers annually. Construction of the new facility is set to begin early next year, with the goal of completing it in 2025 and launching full operations by the following year.

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The supplier for the Høvik production line will be selected later in 2023.

In North America, the Norwegian company is holding talks with both US and Canadian stakeholders to establish its first gigafactory that will potentially be switched on by 2027. It noted it “has not ruled out the possibility” of investing in further GW-scale North American factories before 2030 that could exceed its European plans within a decade.

“[..] the North American market has created a highly favourable environment for companies like ours to thrive in,” said CEO Fredrik Mowill, adding that the exact location for the North American production has not been selected yet.

Hystar claims that its proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers are the world’s safest and most efficient. Their patented design revolves around a membrane that is 90% thinner than competing offerings and allows for the production of up to 150% more green hydrogen. The company said it is now working on upcoming electrolyser deliveries for projects in Norway and Poland.