• DRIFT Energy and Enapter have entered into an agreement to develop a fully marinised AEM
electrolyser designed to produce green hydrogen at sea.
• The partners will adapt existing commercial technology to a marinised standard, ensuring
safety and suitability for marine and offshore installations.
• The agreement was formalised during a visit by DRIFT CEO Ben Medland to Enapter’s
production facility in Italy, where development work will take place.
Bath/United Kingdom, 3 March 2026: DRIFT Energy, a pioneer in ocean-based renewable energy,
has signed a collaboration agreement with Enapter to adapt the design of their Anion Exchange
Membrane (AEM) electrolyser technology for deployment at sea. The agreement was formalised
during a visit by DRIFT’s CEO, Ben Medland, to Enapter’s production facility in Pisa, Italy, this week.
The partnership will accelerate development of the energy storage element of DRIFT’s technology
ecosystem, paving the way for the production of over 30 energy ships currently on the company’s
order book. Additionally, the technology will be available for other marine-based applications,
including offshore wind, where the partners have identified strong potential for a mid-sized
electrolyser unit to produce green hydrogen offshore.
Ben Medland, CEO of DRIFT Energy said: “This project sees two companies working together to
develop technology that will support decarbonisation of the maritime and offshore industries. With
marinised electrolyser technology, we can drive forward the production of zero emission fuel at sea
using our unique energy harvesting ships. It’s another significant step towards our vision of net
positive ships, and I am very excited to see this technology come to market.”
Enapter is a market leader in commercialised AEM Electrolysers and is at the forefront of research
and development for AEM electrolysis, a type of water electrolysis technology used to produce green
hydrogen. Marinisation involves adapting the materials and components of the electrolyser unit for
use in the challenging marine environment. The design of Enapter’s AEM electrolyser will be tailored
to withstand vessel motions and delivered in a form factor suitable for ship installation.
Dr. Jürgen Laakmann, CEO of Enapter commented: “We are proud that DRIFT Energy has selected
our AEM electrolyzer technology for its innovative energy-harvesting sailing vessels. After evaluating
available options, DRIFT chose our modular AEM platform, reflecting the robustness and scalability of
our system architecture. We truly appreciate DRIFT’s confidence in Enapter, and we look forward to
working closely with their team as they bring this exciting offshore concept towards deployment.”
Enapter’s headquarters are in Germany, with significant operations and a production facility in Pisa,
Italy, where the main body of development work for this project will take place.
DRIFT chose Enapter for their electrolyser stacks’ robust design, which incorporates inbuilt
redundancy essential for demanding offshore applications. The two companies are collaborating with
classification societies to meet marine certification requirements and anticipate that the first unit
suitable for maritime deployment will be ready in 2027.
DRIFT Energy and Enapter to develop marinised electrolyser technology for offshore hydrogen production
