H2Pro, Ltd.
Overview
H2Pro is an Israeli clean-energy technology company focused on developing and
commercializing a novel method for producing green hydrogen from water. Founded
in 2019, the company is headquartered in Caesarea, Israel. H2Pro emerged from
research conducted at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and has
positioned itself as a disruptive player in the electrolysis space, aiming to
make green hydrogen cost-competitive with hydrogen produced from fossil fuels.
The company's central mission is to enable the decarbonization of energy and
industry by dramatically reducing the cost of producing hydrogen using
renewable electricity. H2Pro's approach targets one of the most significant
challenges in the transition to a hydrogen-based economy: producing clean
hydrogen at scale and at a low enough price point to compete with conventional
grey hydrogen made from natural gas.
Continue…The Core Technology: E-TAC Water Splitting
H2Pro's defining innovation is a proprietary water-splitting technology known
as E-TAC, which stands for Electrochemical – Thermally Activated Chemical.
Unlike conventional electrolysis, where hydrogen and oxygen are generated
simultaneously at electrodes separated by a membrane, E-TAC splits the process
into two distinct sequential steps:
An electrochemical step in which hydrogen is produced at the cathode while
the anode is charged.
A thermally activated chemical step in which oxygen is released from the
anode by raising the temperature of the electrolyte, regenerating the
electrode without applying electrical current.
Because hydrogen and oxygen are produced at separate times rather than
simultaneously, the two gases are never generated in the same chamber at the
same moment. This separation is a key differentiator of the E-TAC process.
Advantages Claimed by H2Pro
H2Pro promotes several advantages of its E-TAC technology compared to
traditional electrolyzers such as alkaline and PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane)
systems:
High efficiency: The company reports that its process can achieve efficiency
levels significantly higher than conventional electrolysis, translating into
lower electricity consumption per kilogram of hydrogen produced.
Membrane-free design: By eliminating the need for a costly ion-exchange
membrane, the technology reduces both the capital cost and the maintenance
complexity of the system.
Inherent safety: Since hydrogen and oxygen are produced at separate times,
the risk of gas crossover and mixing is minimized, improving operational
safety.
Lower cost: H2Pro's stated goal is to drive down the levelized cost of
hydrogen, with an ambition of reaching very low cost targets per kilogram
that would make green hydrogen competitive with hydrogen derived from
hydrocarbons.
Simplified system architecture: The absence of a membrane and the separation
of gas evolution steps allow for a design that the company argues is more
robust and scalable.
Products and Solutions
H2Pro's primary offering is its E-TAC-based hydrogen generation systems. Rather
than selling hydrogen directly, the company develops the electrolysis technology
and equipment that customers can use to produce green hydrogen on site or at
scale. Its work centers on:
Green hydrogen generators built around the E-TAC water-splitting process,
designed to convert renewable electricity and water into hydrogen.
Scalable systems intended for integration with renewable energy sources such
as solar and wind, enabling the production of hydrogen without carbon
emissions.
Technology aimed at industrial-scale hydrogen applications, supporting
sectors that require large volumes of clean hydrogen for decarbonization.
The company has focused on advancing from laboratory-scale demonstration toward
commercial-scale deployment, developing larger cells and modules capable of
producing meaningful quantities of hydrogen.
Applications and Markets
Green hydrogen produced through technologies like H2Pro's is targeted at a range
of hard-to-decarbonize sectors, including:
Industrial feedstock uses such as ammonia production, refining, and
chemicals manufacturing.
Steel and metals production, where hydrogen can replace carbon-intensive
processes.
Energy storage and grid balancing, allowing surplus renewable electricity to
be stored as hydrogen.
Heavy transport and mobility applications, including fuel for vehicles and
other uses where batteries are less practical.
By enabling lower-cost green hydrogen, H2Pro aims to serve these markets and
support broader efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the global
economy.
Investors and Backing
H2Pro has attracted attention and financial backing from prominent investors in
the clean-technology and energy space. Notably, the company received investment
from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the climate-focused investment fund founded
by Bill Gates, as well as other strategic and venture investors interested in
hydrogen and energy transition technologies. This backing has helped fund the
company's research, development, and scale-up efforts.
Origins and Leadership
The company's technology has roots in academic research at the Technion, and
its founding team includes scientists and entrepreneurs with backgrounds in
electrochemistry, materials science, and energy technology. Among the figures
associated with the company's founding is Talmon Marco, a serial entrepreneur
known for co-founding other technology ventures, who brought commercial and
leadership experience to the enterprise, alongside researchers who developed the
underlying E-TAC science.
Vision
H2Pro's overarching vision is to accelerate the global transition to clean
energy by making green hydrogen affordable and widely available. The company
frames its work as a contribution to the fight against climate change,
positioning its E-TAC technology as a means to unlock hydrogen's potential as a
clean fuel and industrial feedstock. By reducing the cost barrier that has long
limited the adoption of green hydrogen, H2Pro seeks to help build a
sustainable, low-carbon energy future.
