Battolyser Systems and VDL Hydrogen Systems continue together as Alquion

The merger announced in July 2025 between VDL Hydrogen Systems and Battolyser Systems has been formalised, and both companies will continue their activities under the name Alquion. This new company is developing the Flexolyser, a fully flexible and high-capacity alkaline electrolyser designed to integrate large-scale renewable energy sources into the energy system. Alquion will outsource the assembly of the Flexolyser to VDL Groep.

The only two developers of an alkaline electrolyser for industrial applications in the Netherlands, Battolyser Systems and VDL Hydrogen Systems, have merged into a new company called Alquion. All activities and over 50 employees have been combined to bring Flexolyser, the first fully flexible electrolyser for industrial applications, to market. Alquion develops and sells the Flexolyser in collaboration with VDL Groep, which handles the industrialization and assembly of the so-called stack (the heart of the electrolyser where water is split into hydrogen and oxygen).

Switching on and off without performance loss

Electrolysers for industrial applications available on the market cannot be easily turned on and off and require a minimum production of 20 to 40 percent to operate safely and without degradation. Flexolyser can be turned on and off easily and safely without loss of performance. This offers a significant advantage for integrating renewable energy sources, such as offshore wind, into our energy system. During periods of high wind, a Flexolyser can convert excess electricity into hydrogen and inject it into the grid. During low wind, a Flexolyser can be shut down, and customers can be supplied with stored or imported hydrogen. The Flexolyser can thus reduce the production costs of green hydrogen, in the Netherlands by as much as 25 percent, without additional network congestion, enabling the price of locally produced hydrogen to compete with imported hydrogen.

The Netherlands has a fantastic opportunity to develop a hydrogen economy with offshore wind potential, infrastructure, and industrial hydrogen customers. However, manufacturing is still lacking in the value chain.

'Build a domestic supply chain'

President-director Willem van der Leegte of VDL Groep: “Alquion, together with VDL Groep, is building a supplier chain for electrolyzers from our own ground. This enables us to maximize the offshore wind potential of the Netherlands and enhances the country's earning capacity along with the associated employment opportunities.”

‘Innovation and scaling needed for acceleration’

"The costs of green hydrogen are currently still too high. Innovation and scaling up are necessary to accelerate the hydrogen economy. With this merger, we combine innovation and industrialization in the Flexolyser, enabling us to better serve our customers in various industries, such as chemicals, e-fuels, steel, and grid applications," says CEO Mattijs Slee of Alquion.

Focus on complete flexibility and high production capacity

Alquion is developing the Flexolyser by leveraging VDL- and Battolyser technology, with a focus on maximum flexibility and high production capacity. An investment decision for a demonstration system of 0.5 MW at an industrial customer is planned for May this year, and preparations for a production system of 5 to 10 MW have already commenced. To put this into perspective: 1 MW produces approximately 20 kg of hydrogen per hour, saving 180 kg of CO₂ emissions per hour.

Alquion is together with VDL Groep part of HyValueChain, a consortium that aims to develop a supply chain for an electrolyzer in the Netherlands. This collaboration also aligns with one of the project proposals from the Wennink Report, which aims to strengthen the future revenue-generating capacity of the Netherlands.

About Alquion

Alquion B.V. (Schiedam, Eindhoven) is a cleantech scale-up founded in 2026 that develops and commercializes the Flexolyser®, a fully flexible alkaline electrolyzer for industrial applications. Alquion has approximately 50 employees and is based in Mainport Rotterdam and Brainport Eindhoven. The main shareholders are VDL Groep, Innovation Industries, Global Cleantech Capital, and Invest-NL.