Battolyser Systems and VDL Hydrogen Systems merge to become Alquion
The merger of VDL Hydrogen Systems and Battolyser Systems announced in July 2025 has now been formalised and both companies are continuing their operations 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 the new company’s operations and 50-plus employees are focused on the marketing of the Flexolyser, the first fully flexible electrolyser for industrial applications. Alquion is developing and will sell the Flexolyser in collaboration with VDL Groep, which will industrialise and assemble the so-called stack (the heart of the electrolyser, where water is split into hydrogen and oxygen).
Start up and shut down without any loss of performance
Existing electrolysers for industrial applications are difficult to start up and shut down and require a minimum production of 20 to 40% to operate safely and without degradation. The Flexolyser is easy to start up and shut down without any loss of performance, which is a huge advantage when integrating renewables like offshore wind, into our energy system. In high wind conditions, the Flexolyser is able to convert surplus electricity into hydrogen and inject it into the pipeline network. In low wind conditions, the Flexolyser can be shut down to supply customers with stored or imported hydrogen instead. This gives the Flexolyser the potential to reduce the production cost of green hydrogen in the Netherlands by as much as 25% without additional network congestion; this would pave the way for the price of locally-produced hydrogen to compete with the price of imported hydrogen.
The Netherlands’ offshore wind potential, infrastructure and industrial hydrogen customers mean that it is very well placed to develop a hydrogen economy. However, the manufacturing industry is still missing from the value chain.
Develop a Dutch supply chain
VDL Groep Chairman Willem van der Leegte: "Alquion will work with VDL Groep to develop a Dutch supply chain for electrolysers. By doing this, we can maximise use of the Netherlands' offshore wind potential and strengthen our country’s earning potential and the associated employment opportunities."
Innovation and scale-up necessary for acceleration
"Green hydrogen is still a high-cost commodity. Innovation and scale-up are necessary to accelerate the hydrogen economy. This merger is bringing innovation and industrialisation together in the Flexolyser, putting us in a better position to serve our customers in various industries, such as chemical, e-fuels, steel and network applications," said Alquion CEO Mattijs Slee.
Focus on full flexibility and high production capacity
The Flexolyser enables Alquion to build on VDL and Battolyser technology, with a focus on full flexibility and high production capacity. An investment decision for a 0.5-MW demonstration system for an industrial customer is scheduled for May this year and preparations for a 5 to 10-MW production system have already started. By way of comparison: 1 MW produces about 20 kg of hydrogen per hour, resulting in a 180 kg per hour reduction in CO2 emissions.
Together with VDL Groep, Alquion is part of HyValueChain, a consortium that wants to develop a supply chain for an electrolyser in the Netherlands. This partnership also ties in with one of the project proposals in the Wennink Report, which is made with a view to strengthening the Netherlands’ future earning capacity.
About Alquion
Alquion B.V. (Schiedam, Eindhoven) is a cleantech scale-up that was founded in 2026. It is developing and marketing the Flexolyser®, a fully flexible alkaline electrolyser for industrial applications. Alquion has 52 employees and is based in Mainport Rotterdam and Brainport Eindhoven. The company's main shareholders are VDL Groep, Innovation Industries, Global Cleantech Capital and Invest-NL.