COMPANY NAME
Elementarhy GmbH
COUNTRY
Germany
SECTOR
Energy
CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODEL
- Product as a service
CHALLENGE
The generation of green hydrogen strongly depends on the availability of certain technologies and related resources. The Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA)—the heart of electrolyzers—depends in large parts on iridium, a rare and expensive metal sourced mostly from Russia and South Africa. This creates supply risks and high costs, slowing down Europe’s clean energy transition.
Besides, MEAs are not only expensive but also difficult to recycle. Currently, when an MEA reaches the end of its life, it’s often burned to recover just the iridium, wasting other valuable materials and creating unnecessary waste. elementarhy is changing this by introducing a circular approach: they take back used MEAs from customers, refurbish them, and recycle the materials. This not only extends the life of each MEA but also recovers precious resources, reducing waste and lowering environmental impact.
SOLUTIONS
| elementarhy is driving the green hydrogen revolution by making production more sustainable and affordable. Their innovative MEA technology slashes iridium use, making production more stable and cost-effective. Another issue is waste: used MEAs are often burned just to recover iridium, losing other valuable materials. elementarhy is solving this with a circular system, taking back old MEAs to refurbish and recycle them, cutting waste and saving resources. Their MEA-as-a-Service model keeps materials in use longer, reduces costs, and makes green hydrogen more accessible. By addressing these challenges, elementarhy is helping Europe secure its clean energy future—making green hydrogen a practical reality. |
CIRCULAR ECONOMY STRATEGIES
The feasibility study evaluated the implementation of a circular MEA-as-a-Service concept for PEM water electrolysers. The results demonstrate relevance and feasibility across circularity, desirability, technical/operational feasibility, and financial viability under current market conditions.
Material flow analysis showed that reducing iridium input at production (“narrowing”) and enabling recovery at end-of-life (“closing”) significantly lowers dependence on primary critical raw materials. Based on recycling process assessments, iridium recovery rates substantially above current practice (~20%) are technically achievable at scale. In-house evaluation of titanium PTL reuse demonstrated compatibility with cleaning and re-coating, supporting component reuse (“slowing”).
Overall, the study confirms that the MEA-as-a-Service model provides a practical pathway to transition MEA production and use toward a circular economy.
IMPACT
Environmental impact
emissions, and decreases waste generation. Reuse and recycling contribute to improved resource efficiency and reduced environmental footprint. From a social perspective, the approach supports European supply security, reduces exposure to hazardous materials, and contributes to more resilient hydrogen value chains. The study confirmed that MEAs represent a high-impact leverage point for circularity in PEM electrolysis due to their material intensity and cost contribution. The assessed MEA concept combines ultra-low iridium loading (<0.1 mg Ir cm⁻²) with defined take-back, remanufacturing, and recycling pathways.
Economic impact
Our research shows that by recovering valuable materials and reusing components, we can actually balance out the costs of servicing MEAs, especially as the technology scales up. What’s more, by using less iridium upfront and recycling it at the end of an MEA’s life, we significantly cut the total cost of materials over time.
But it’s not just about the numbers—customers find the idea appealing. They particularly like a model where everything—from supplying the MEA to maintenance and recycling—is bundled into a simple service contract. This approach doesn’t just make financial sense, especially when material prices fluctuate, it also makes life easier for customers by taking the guesswork out of maintenance and disposal.
The feedback has been clear: when our circular MEAs perform just as well as traditional ones, customers are eager to make the switch. The MEA-as-a-Service model stands out because it protects customers from unpredictable costs, reduces their maintenance burden, and handles end-of-life recycling seamlessly.
KEY TAKEAWAY
The study showed that we are on a promising track developing a circular MEA-as-a-Service concept. Even though some economically and infrastructural remain, we will continue developing our business model step-by-step in a circular direction.