Bankability is one of the most decisive factors in today’s hydrogen economy — especially for projects in the energy and hard-to-abate industries, where capital requirements and risk exposure are particularly high. It directly influences the interest rates and risk premiums a project must pay – and therefore has an immediate impact on overall project economics. In a market where large‑scale investments depend on confidence, bankability determines which projects move forward and which remain stuck on paper.
What Bankability Means for Us
For industrial hydrogen projects, bankability signals to investors that a project is reliable, lowrisk, and executable at scale. As an electrolysis technology provider our contribution to a project’s bankability rests on four pillars:
- Experience in technology,
- Robust execution capability,
- Long Term Service Concepts,
- Deep Understanding of Regulatory and Funding Framework
With a strong track record of delivering large-scale electrolyzer systems, our alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) systems build on decades of electrochemical expertise, supported by standardized, industrial grade modules that have already demonstrated stable performance worldwide – with one of the strongest execution track records in the sector.
How We Contribute to Bankability as OEM
1. Experience in technology
To make largescale hydrogen projects bankable, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) play a decisive role. Investors focus on predictable returns and minimized risks, which require solid technological foundation and execution certainty as a projects basis. Our 20 MW scalum® units are standardized, offer long cell life and are designed for industrial reality:
- High-durability cell design
- Atmospheric-pressure operation
- Modular concept enabling stepwise scaling
- High system efficiency and dynamic operation
- Optimized for competitive LCOH
- Strong guarantees
This gives banks and investors the confidence they need to finance multi-hundred-megawatt or gigawatt-scale projects.
2. Robust execution capability
A project is only as bankable as the partners behind it. Successfully executed hydrogen projects, clear delivery milestones, and a strong supply chain capacity significantly strengthen a project’s financial credibility.
With more than 3 GW under binding contract and multigigawatt‑gigawatt delivery capacity each year, we provide exactly that reassurance. Recent projects – such as the large‑scale Stegra installation for H2 Green Steel in Sweden underline our ability to deliver reliably and on schedule.
3. Long-term service concepts
A hydrogen production asset must operate competitively for decades – and long-term reliability is essential for bankability. We support our customers throughout the entire lifecycle of their plant with a 360° service portfolio to ensure stable performance, high availability, and predictable operating costs.
Our comprehensive service concepts include preventive maintenance, spare‑parts strategies, performance monitoring, and continuous technical support. This long-term partnership minimizes operational risks and provides investors with the assurance that the asset will deliver the expected output over decades, significantly strengthening the overall bankability of the project.
4. Deep understanding of regulatory and funding framework
In the emerging hydrogen market that is defined by evolving regulations and depended on public funding – such as the European Hydrogen Bank’s Innovation Fund auctions – OEMs play a critical role by meeting requirements and providing the documentation and performance proof.
In hydrogen-related funding programs, we meet all required technical, cybersecurity, and compliance standards, and we support customers with Letters of Intent, feasibility assessments, and lifecycle service concepts that strengthen project competitiveness and improve overall bankability.
As a result, banks and institutional investors acknowledge our strong track record and deep technology experience. This recognition reduces financing risk and makes projects built with our systems highly bankable.
Why Bankability Matters More Than Ever
Across the industry, uncertainty in regulatory frameworks and rising system costs have already led to delays and cancellations of renewable hydrogen projects. Strengthening bankability is therefore essential to unlock financing and accelerate deployment – not only through technology maturity but also through established supply chains, regulatory alignment, and risk management frameworks.
With:
- >10 GW installed electrochemical capacity,
- 600+ successful electrochemical projects, and
- 1,000+ employees across 10 locations worldwide,
thyssenkrupp nucera brings unparalleled six-decade electrolysis experience to every project.
We deliver: In time. In scale. In quality.
