What is the duration of starting the electrolyser until it is fully functional? How long is the warm-up/ramp-up time?

The ramp up time of the electrolyser depends on the electrolyte temperature (the ramp-up is slower at cooler temperatures and quicker at warm temperatures). In most cases, the system will start with a hydration period of 60 seconds, and then ramp up to the nominal production rate with the following values:

• Warm-up time (time taken for the electrolyser to heat up): The electrolyte working temperature in the electrolyser is 55°C. The electrolyser reaches a heating ratio of about 1 °C/min and reaches maximum efficiency at 55°C. That means, if the machine is started with an electrolyte temperature of 25°C, it will take about 30 min to be fully operational and perform at its maximum efficiency.

• Ramp up time (time to reach nominal production rate): Usually, the 500 NL/h production rate is reached after about 2/3 of the total warm-up time (the warm-up time is 30 min, so if starting at 25°C, it will need 20 min to reach the maximum production rate).

• Build pressure time: When the system starts, and the electrolyser starts to heat up, the hydrogen production begins immediately, and the maximum production rate is reached later. With standard setpoints, the pressure is built up completely in 1/6 of the total warm-up time (if you start at 25 °C, then the warm-up time is 30 min, so 5 min to build up pressure are needed).