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Interview: Field Experience in Green Hydrogen Projects
As green hydrogen projects move from pilot projects to larger deployments, the day-to-day realities of commissioning, contamination control and long-term reliability are quickly becoming true differentiators. In this interview, we spoke with Golnoosh Mir and Dominik Steinberger, Senior Field Specialists - Hydrogen, about what they see in the field and what it takes to keep hydrogen production systems operating safely, efficiently and consistently.
From electrolyte filtration and aerosol carryover to protecting sensitive instrumentation, Dominik and Golnoosh share recurring pain points they encounter across AWE projects, misconceptions that can stall readiness, and design choices during. Their insights highlight why details matter, and how validated filtration and separation practices can help make green hydrogen more attractive and bankable on the path to 2030.
Meet the Experts
In one sentence, what’s your role as a Field Application Specialist in Hydrogen?
Golnoosh Mir (GM): At Pall, I support hydrogen projects by discussing and defining filtration and separation solutions with customers across the full hydrogen value chain -from production through purification, compression, and storage -to protect electrolysers and balance‑of‑plant equipment under real commissioning and operating conditions.
What do you spend most of your time doing week to week?
Dominik Steinberger (DS): A large part of my time is spent helping customers understand how effective filtration and separation directly contribute to higher plant efficiency, improved hydrogen quality, and longer electrolyser stack lifetime. Those technical improvements translate into tangible cost savings across the process, supporting more reliable hydrogen production at a lower cost which is an essential step toward competitiveness at scale.
What We’re Seeing in the Field
What’s changing fastest in customer requirements?
GM: We’re seeing several shifts in how projects are being specified and executed First, there is still a clear gap between lab-qualified technologies and field-ready systems. Most hydrogen projects require application-specific validation rather than assuming a plug-and-play approach.
Second, balance-of-plant fundamentals, such as fluid cleanliness, gas quality and contamination control, have a direct and often underestimated impact on electrolyzer availability and auxiliary equipment reliability.
Third, early design decisions made during FEED, particularly around filtration, materials compatibility, and maintainability, significantly influence commissioning timelines, long‑term operability, and overall OPEX.
What are the top two to three recurring technical pain points you see across electrolyzer projects right now?
DS: The first is electrolyte filtration. When a solution is not properly selected and implemented, it directly affects cell efficiency and significantly shortens cell and stack lifetime. Particulate loading or impurity levels in the electrolyte accelerate stack degradation rates, increasing both performance losses and operating costs.
The second is insufficient aerosol removal from hydrogen and oxygen streams, particularly in AWE systems. The carryover of caustic electrolyte aerosols can contaminate downstream equipment, reduce gas purity, and poison deoxygenation catalysts. This can lead to missed gas purity specifications, non‑compliance with environmental regulations for off‑gas streams, and costly catalysts replacements.
Third, many systems lack adequate protection for sensitive instrumentation. Flow meters, pressure transmitters, and gas analyzer probes are particularly vulnerable to fouling and corrosion when exposed to contaminated process streams. Without appropriate filtration or separation stages, these instruments fail prematurely, causing unplanned downtime and operational disruptions.
De-risking Projects & What’s Next
What’s the most common misconception you hear about green hydrogen project readiness?
GM: A common misconception is that once the core hydrogen production process is defined, the remaining systems will naturally fall into place. In practice, many risks emerge at the interfaces, where filtration and separation technologies must be properly integrated into water and gas circuits across the balance of plant. These challenges often only become visible during commissioning and early operation, when real process conditions expose sensitivities that aren’t always visible during controlled testing. Addressing these integration points early helps avoid instability, rework, and unplanned interventions later on.
What’s a lesson you’ve learned from working with OEMs/EPCs/research institutions?
DS: One of the biggest lessons is that fluid and gas cleanliness is prioritized very differently across organizations. Some address it early in the design process, while others treat it as a secondary consideration. Yet every project ultimately converges on the same requirement: consistent and clean process streams.
The difference lies in how complex it becomes to integrate the right filtration and separation technologies into the specific system design later in the project. Taking a holistic, system‑level view from the start helps avoid costly redesigns and performance losses down the line.
What’s one measurable outcome you aim for when supporting a customer?
GM: A key outcome is reducing commissioning risk by de‑risking filtration and separation decisions early in the project. In pilot and early commercial deployments, clearly defining contamination control requirements and validation plans upfront helps prevent late‑stage design changes after equipment is installed.
The result is smoother startups, shorter commissioning timelines, and fewer filtration‑related interventions during early operation.
What is one green hydrogen trend you think will matter by 2030?
GM: By 2030, green hydrogen projects will be differentiated less by announced capacity and more by how reliably they operate. Field experience shows that repeatable performance, smooth commissioning, and predictable maintenance are what enable projects to scale and attract investment.
Many of the biggest risks sit outside the electrolyzer itself, in balance‑of‑plant decisions made early in design. Projects that prioritize validated filtration, separation, and contamination control from FEED onward start faster, operate more consistently, and build the operating history needed for bankability.
Learn more about Pall’s green hydrogen resources here.