Enapter AG has become the first electrolyzer producer running the popular Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA) communication standard on its electrolyzers. OPC UA is one of the world’s most important communication standards for industrial automation and Industry 4.0.

Known by some as the global production language, OPC UA enables improved data communication and interoperability between devices and systems in many industries. By joining the OPC Foundation behind the standard and becoming the first electrolyzer producer to use OPC UA on its electrolyzers, Enapter has opened up even easier deployment of its green H₂ generators for solutions ranging from energy self-sufficiency to green gas production.

“Alongside the OPC UA Foundation, we wanted to make it even easier for today’s industry leaders who are using systems and devices running OPC UA to transition to green hydrogen. We believe that assuring the digital interoperability of our electrolyzers will accelerate industry’s adoption of green hydrogen,” said Sebastian-Justus Schmidt, Founder and CEO of Enapter. 
 
Enapter is the world leader in AEM Electrolyzer technology, with its green H₂ generators used in diverse applications in more than 50 countries. It is currently building the Enapter Campus mass production and R&D site in Saerbeck, Germany, where it also intends to use OPC UA for standardized and secure communication between production line devices.

While its EL 4.0 Electrolyzers running OPC UA will be able to enable easy and secure integration with 3rd party Energy Management Systems, Enapter also offers users its own Energy Management System Toolkit for integration and control of Enapter and 3rd party devices. 

“As industries increasingly undergo both digitalization and decarbonization, the certification of Enapter’s electrolyzers for OPC UA is a clear signal of confidence for those wanting a reliable solution for integrating green hydrogen production into their systems,” said Stefan Hoppe, President OPC Foundation. 

Enapter’s work with OPC UA started around six months ago, in parallel with the foundation of the working group developing the OPC UA interface standard for energy devices and systems. The pioneering use of OPC UA in electrolyzers is also an expansion of Enapter’s open-source software focus, with some of its information model additions around green hydrogen systems also proposed to be added to the standard OPC UA information models – a development that could broaden the potential for integration of other energy transition assets within OPC UA.