Blog
04th August 2025
Image Source: Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies
Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies is preparing to deploy the world’s first 5MW Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolyser system, a major step in making green hydrogen economically viable for hard-to-abate sectors. The system will be installed in collaboration with Rockcheck Steel Group in Tianjin, China, as part of an integrated photovoltaics/hydrogen/hydrogen-enriched smelting platform aimed at decarbonizing steel production.
Steelmaking has long been one of the most carbon-intensive industrial processes. By injecting green hydrogen into blast furnace operations and reducing reliance on coal, the project is intended to materially lower emissions while showcasing a blueprint for combining renewable energy with innovative electrolyser technology at scale.
Horizon’s modular AEM electrolyser architecture targets the two biggest barriers to hydrogen adoption: cost and integration with variable renewable power. The upcoming deployment uses two 5MW units (each producing 1,000 Nm³/h of hydrogen) coupled with a 17MW building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) array to supply the electricity needed for electrolysis.
According to Horizon, the AEM system achieves 10–20% lower power consumption compared to traditional alkaline electrolysers. This efficiency improvement, combined with expected reductions in capital cost as the technology scales, is projected to drive a lower levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) than incumbent technologies.
The system is built to accommodate intermittent renewable power input, smoothing the integration of solar and potentially wind generation into hydrogen production. Horizon anticipates that, once optimized, the deployed infrastructure can produce green hydrogen at costs as low as US$2 per kilogram, a threshold that significantly improves competitiveness in downstream applications.
The initial 5MW deployment is being done in partnership with Rockcheck Steel Group, a top 500 Chinese enterprise headquartered in Tianjin with a workforce exceeding 10,000. This collaboration embeds hydrogen into the steelmaking value chain through hydrogen-enriched smelting, with green hydrogen being injected into the gas pipeline feeding blast furnace operations.
Rockcheck Steel’s broader modernization strategy includes aggressive ESG investments and a commitment to reducing its environmental footprint. The integrated system couples clean electricity from the BIPV installation with Horizon’s electrolysers to both reduce coal consumption and shrink the carbon intensity of steel production.
The project is positioned as a flagship demonstration in the decarbonization of heavy industry—a sector where technological breakthroughs are essential for meeting global climate goals.
While this deployment centers on steel, Horizon’s strategic vision extends across the emerging hydrogen economy. The company sees its AEM technology as a cornerstone for production of the feedstocks and fuels needed for broader decarbonization, including:
Green ammonia, which is gaining traction not only as a hydrogen carrier but also as a direct low-carbon fuel for power generation and maritime shipping. Horizon is already collaborating with third parties on flexible green ammonia production schemes.
Green methanol and alcohols, which serve as drop-in or transitional fuels in chemical and marine applications.
Hydrogen metallurgy and other industrial processes that benefit from high-purity, competitively priced electrolytic hydrogen.
Zero emission transportation, particularly heavy-duty applications where diesel replacement is a major emissions lever.
The successful demonstration of the 5MW AEM electrolyser project is intended to unlock broader deployments globally. Horizon highlights that the technology pairs well with variable renewable resources—photovoltaic, wind, and others—enhancing renewable energy utilization by converting surplus or intermittent power into storable and dispatchable green hydrogen.
This flexibility, together with improved efficiency and the path toward cost parity with long-established alkaline systems, makes AEM electrolysis a compelling option for project developers, industrial operators, and energy transition strategists.
Founded in 2003, Horizon Fuel Cell has focused on foundational innovation in materials and system level technologies for fuel cells and electrolysers. Horizon positions its AEM technology not as an incremental improvement but as a transformational enabler of the hydrogen economy. Its modular systems aim to lower barriers to entry for green hydrogen, making it practical for diverse end uses from fertilizers to hard-to-abate industrial heat.
With the Tianjin deployment expected to be operational by the end of 2025, Horizon and Rockcheck Steel are setting a precedent for how scalable green hydrogen production can be integrated into legacy industrial systems without compromising competitiveness. The early results of the project will be watched closely as stakeholders seek replicable models that combine renewables, electrolysis, and industrial decarbonization in a coherent value chain.
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