Hydrogen peroxide is a key chemical used in industrial synthesis, disinfection, water treatment, and bleaching. Today, its global production relies almost exclusively on the energy-intensive Anthraquinone Oxidation (AO) process, which is centralized, requires hazardous organic solvents, and demands extensive long-distance transport of concentrated H₂O₂. This dependence creates environmental, safety, and cost challenges that limit the flexible and on-site use of the chemical.
The Power2Hype project responds to these challenges by developing a sustainable electrochemical process capable of producing H₂O₂ on-demand using only water, oxygen from air, and renewable electricity. This approach eliminates the need for complex logistics and substantially reduces the environmental footprint of the production chain.
At the core of Power2Hype is a paired electrolysis strategy, in which both electrodes in a single electrochemical cell generate hydrogen peroxide through the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the anodic water oxidation reaction (WOR). This dual-production mechanism enables higher efficiency and lower energy consumption than conventional electrochemical systems.
The system integrates several key innovations, including advanced metal-free carbon-based catalysts for selective ORR, boron-doped diamond (BDD) anodes that suppress competing side reactions, specialised gas diffusion layers (GDLs), and a dual-membrane configuration that actively transports produced H₂O₂ away from the reaction site to prevent decomposition.
Power2Hype is integrating a downstream processing (DSP) unit to concentrate the hydrogen peroxide produced in the electrochemical cell. This step is essential to ensure product competitiveness and to demonstrate a viable route toward industrially relevant concentrations. In parallel, the consortium is developing continuous-flow cells and multi-cell stacks, laying the groundwork for a future pilot-scale demonstrator.
“The project aims to establish a clean and economically viable electrochemical process, enabling safe and decentralised hydrogen peroxide production,” says Luciana Vieira, Power2Hype’s Coordinator and Senior Scientist at Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB. “Hydrogen peroxide is widely used across sectors such as water treatment, pulp and paper, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and environmental remediation. By enabling decentralised production, Power2Hype contributes to safer supply chains, reduced emissions, and increased industrial autonomy in line with European sustainability objectives,” she adds.