Aim
Green H2 has proved to be a promising solution to the climate change and sustainability discussions. With this, the production plants are no more in pilot phase but are already being built on an industrial scale. As a manufacturer of valves, measurement and control systems, it is our job to see that challenges in scaling up are addressed to with practical and definitive solutions. This paper deems to address these challenges and suggest solutions for the same.

1. Valves and control systems as critical components
Production of green H2 starts with water treatment. Deionized to high purity water is needed to produce green H2. Efficiency and lifetime of electrolysers are directly proportional to the quality of the water used. Valves and control systems, amongst various other components, play a pivotal role in water treatment. With scaling-up, we face the challenge not only of sizes but also of valve types and functions.
Looking into the electrolysers, in case of AEL, the dosing of KOH into water comes into play. A precise and accurate dosing is highly important here. Precise dosing and high lifetime are paramount for this process. Hence it is important to find a practical solution here.
After electrolysis, the handling of the H2 and O2 gases also needs to be addressed. O2, as an oxidizing agent and H2 as a combustible and volatile medium need additional tests and capabilities in products handling them.
2. Automation
Upscaling leads to higher production capacities, but with that also increases the requirement of automation. The plants must be able to run remotely, with minimal human intervention especially when producing H2 on offshore wind farm or solar fields in the desert. Customers expect the compatibility to this requirement for critical system components like valves.
3. Digitalization
Along with automation, is the need of digitalization, a key in production of green H2. Concepts like digital twin and communication platforms are gaining further importance. Compatibility of products not only with digital signals but also with bus systems, will be a necessity. Furthermore, digital and paper-free maintenance and documentation is already being asked for. To incorporate these requirements in clever product solutions needs to be addressed.

Conclusion
Scaling-up of H2 production plants does bring some challenges with itself. Furthermore, it has been concluded that some of these challenges are not specific to this market. However, the need for upscaling proves to be an accelerator of these topics which could be beneficial for industry in general.
Combining standard industrial valves with these demands of the H2 supply chain, could be the key to solving the challenges and facilitating a faster scaling-up.