With a decade of experience as a polymer chemist, Julien Fage specializes in custom performance polymers and holds a PhD from Darmstadt University. Since 2021, he has been working at CENmat, where he collaborates with his team to develop polyelectrolytes for AEM and PEM water electrolysis.
More broadly, CENmat is a vertically integrated water electrolyzer company focused on the climate era. Its sustainable, scalable, highly efficient, and low-cost water electrolysis technologies enable the production of economical and truly green hydrogen.
What was your original motivation to become a researcher/project manager?
“Already as a kid, I could spend hours trying to understand how things around me worked and how they could be improved. When I discovered chemistry, it was love at first sight. I wanted to work on something relevant to today’s challenges, and contributing to the green hydrogen field became an obvious choice.”
What is your (main) research area today?
“I am responsible for the development of highly efficient, cost effective and scalable polymer for water electrolysis, both PEM and AEM. At CENmat, an important focus is to develop products that are free from forever chemicals – PFAS.”
What is the main focus of your team in REDHy?
“In REDHy, we are working on combining AEM and PEM technologies to develop a bipolar membrane. This approach allows us to harness the best of both worlds. The resulting bipolar membrane will be free of PFAS and critical raw materials and designed for scalable production.”
Could you describe your favourite moment/satisfaction when working for the project and – more in general – for your organisation?
“The combined expertise and commitment of the REDHy partner network enable us not only to reach our next technological milestones but also to maximize impact on the global hydrogen sector. For example, during the most recent General Assembly meeting in October 2024 in Valencia, we held a dedicated workshop focused on the strategic assessment of our key developments. This collaborative approach is fostered throughout the project ensuring active exploitation aligned with market needs, which lies at the core of our mission at CENmat.”
How do you expect REDHy results will affect your organisation and the energy storage sector?
“REDHy introduces a truly innovative approach strategy to hydrogen production by integrating knowledge from classical electrolysis and redox flow batteries. At the heart of the REDHy system is an highly efficient bipolar membrane. This breakthrough gives us the opportunity to develop cost-effective solutions for producing green hydrogen production.”
