Ecolectro

Ecolectro is an Ithaca, New York-based green hydrogen company that develops anion (alkaline) exchange membrane (AEM) materials and fully integrated electrolyzer systems. Its proprietary hydrocarbon-based membrane chemistry is designed to avoid iridium and other precious metals, titanium components in plates and porous transport layers, and PFAS/PFOA "forever chemicals," relying instead on abundant, recyclable materials. The company positions its membranes as a drop-in for existing PEM electrolyzer stacks, combining membrane-based electrolysis with the economics of traditional alkaline electrolysis.

The company states its materials cut stack costs substantially — its website cites a 78% reduction in stack cost and a 33% reduction in overall hydrogen production cost, while a 2024 release cites an 80% cost reduction versus PEM-based stacks. Ecolectro's electrolyzers are described as modular and plug-and-play, allowing customers to add capacity incrementally and to produce hydrogen on site, eliminating transport and storage costs and making them eligible for federal and state green hydrogen tax credits. The systems are also presented as tolerant of variable power input, suiting them to solar and wind integration.

Ecolectro targets hard-to-abate sectors including chemical refining, transportation, steel, aviation, power generation, and industrial users, as well as gas utilities blending hydrogen into natural gas for heating.

Founding story

Ecolectro was co-founded by Cornell PhD chemists Gabriel G. Rodríguez-Calero and Kristina M. Hugar. Rodríguez-Calero began related work on nanoparticle electrodeposits at the University of Puerto Rico and continued at Cornell in the lab of professor Hector Abruña, developing methodologies for characterizing new materials. Hugar completed her PhD under Cornell professor Geoffrey Coates, working on polymer electrolyte scaffolds and materials for alternative energy. Both participated in a Department of Energy-sponsored program at Cornell's Center for Alkaline-Based Energy Systems; after finishing his PhD a year earlier, Rodríguez-Calero surveyed Cornell projects with existing intellectual property, selected Hugar's project to commercialize, and invited her to join him.

Business model

Ecolectro develops and sells electrolyzer hardware and the underlying AEM materials, beginning with pilot and demonstration projects (its website offers a "demo project" entry point) and scaling to commercial-class 250–500 kW and 1–5 MW systems. Customers produce hydrogen on site rather than buying delivered hydrogen.

Sale of fully integrated, modular electrolyzer systems that customers can expand over time, with an initial route to market through paid pilot deployments; the company also cites patented membrane materials as a drop-in for existing PEM stacks.

Traction

In summer 2024 Ecolectro deployed its first commercial project, a 10 kW electrolyzer with Liberty New York Gas in Massena, New York, described as New York State's first project blending green hydrogen with natural gas for commercial heating; each kilogram of hydrogen was said to abate at least 5.5 kg of CO2 versus natural gas alone, hydrogen was produced for under $2.50/kg, and Liberty opted to scale the pilot to 1 MW. The company reported total capital raised of $27.7M as of November 2024, including grants from the U.S. Department of Energy under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, NYSERDA and the National Science Foundation. It also reported scaling from lab to pilot scale and plans for 250–500 kW and 1–5 MW commercial systems.

Latest developments

In November 2024 Ecolectro announced the close of a $10.5M Series A led by Toyota Ventures, bringing total capital raised to $27.7M, to fund development of commercial-class 250–500 kW and 1–5 MW electrolyzers, with prototypes slated for testing with industry partners in early 2025 and commercial availability expected by late 2025. Its utility partner Liberty New York Gas elected to expand its 10 kW pilot to 1 MW.