Bspkl wins Breakthrough Project Award
The result of over a decade of work and innovation by Dr Jérôme Leveneur in the Material Sciences team at GNS Science has been recognised and rewarded at the 2023 KiwiNet Research Commercialisation Awards.
A breakthrough for Bspkl
The PwC Breakthrough Project Award recognises a project that demonstrates best practice commercialisation of publicly funded research.
Bspkl, GNS Science’s first spin-out business, was formed in 2023 with a $2.8m capital raise, led by WNT Ventures and co-investment from local and overseas investors. It is New Zealand’s first deep-tech Hydrogen startup.
Developed as a breakthrough approach to manufacturing of Catalyst Coated Membranes (CCM) for hydrogen production, Bspkl’s technology has significant potential to overcome supply chain constraints and support rapid growth of the global clean hydrogen industry.
Bspkl has now established its own facility in Lower Hutt where it is scaling manufacturing of the CCMs, with Jérôme as CTO, and Co-Founder Christina Houlihan as CEO.
What is a Catalyst Coated Membrane (CCM)?
CCMs are used in PEM (Polymer electrolyte membrane) electrolysis and consist of precisely structured catalysts typically platinum (cathode) and iridium (anode) that are applied to solid membranes in a way which maximises hydrogen production.
Water flows into the CCM, where an iridium catalyst uses electrical energy to break water molecules into oxygen, protons and electrons. The electrons are driven through the external circuit and protons then cross the membrane. A platinum catalyst puts the protons and electrons back together to form hydrogen.
Bspkl’s innovative manufacturing approach applies the catalyst coating to the membrane material as speckles, or a large number of small dots (hence the name, Bspkl). This results in the use of 25% less catalyst material. This manufacturing approach is scalable, produces no wastewater, no harmful by-products and can be powered by renewable energy.