92% of proton exchange membranes are fluorine-containing products, and core related technologies are concentrated overseas: Olivine New Energy adopts a fluorine-free route to drive the domestic substitution of hydrogen energy membrane materials.
The green hydrogen production and long-duration energy storage industry is ushering in a window for large-scale implementation, but long-standing problems such as the long-term dominance of core diaphragm materials by fluorine-containing routes, high costs and heavy environmental burdens have always restricted industrial development. Suzhou Aoliyun New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. focuses on the R&D of membrane materials for electrochemical systems. Through the non-perfluorosulfonic acid resin and fluorine-free process routes, it has developed diaphragm products covering both alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen production and PEM water electrolysis hydrogen production technology routes. After completing the angel round financing of tens of millions of yuan in 2024, Aoliyun New Energy has officially launched the next round of financing to promote the construction of the pilot production line and downstream customer verification.
Hydrogen energy membrane materials have long been constrained by fluorine-containing routes, with dual pressures of cost and environmental protection yet to be resolved
Proton exchange membranes and alkaline electrolytic diaphragms are core components in water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment, fuel cells and flow energy storage batteries, which directly determine the energy conversion efficiency, service life and overall cost of the system. For a long time, the global proton exchange membrane market has been dominated by the perfluorosulfonic acid resin route, with core technologies and production capacity highly concentrated in overseas enterprises, and the industry's CR5 concentration exceeds 73%. Traditional perfluorinated membranes rely on expensive fluorination processes and scarce raw materials, resulting in persistently high manufacturing costs. In addition, fluorine-containing materials are difficult to biodegrade after disposal, posing a risk of environmental accumulation.
According to industry research data, the overall market size of China's proton exchange membrane market was about 1.86 billion yuan in 2024, of which fluorine-containing products account for more than 92% of the share. Against the backdrop of the rapid expansion of green hydrogen production and new energy storage scenarios, contradictions such as insufficient supply of high-end membrane materials, high costs and long certification cycles have become increasingly prominent. Domestic electrolyzer and energy storage system manufacturers are in urgent need of alternative membrane material solutions with independent intellectual property rights, controllable costs and environmental friendliness, so as to reduce dependence on imported materials and accelerate large-scale application. In this context, fluorine-free and non-perfluorinated proton exchange membranes have become an important direction for industrial technology iteration, which can significantly reduce the cost of raw materials and processes while ensuring proton conductivity and chemical stability through molecular structure design.
Dual-route diaphragm layout covers multiple scenarios, and fluorine-free resin technology breaks through the cost bottleneck
Founded in February 2023 and headquartered in Suzhou High-tech Zone, Jiangsu Province, Aoliyun New Energy is one of the few domestic enterprises that simultaneously have the capability to prepare diaphragms for both alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen production and proton exchange membrane water electrolysis hydrogen production technology routes. The company develops core materials around non-perfluorosulfonic acid resins and fluorine-free process routes, with products covering alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen production diaphragms, non-perfluorinated proton exchange membranes for PEM water electrolysis hydrogen production, and extending to flow battery and fuel cell scenarios.
In terms of technical paths, Aoliyun New Energy constructs microporous ion transport channels through the molecular design of block sulfonated polymers and the sulfonated polymer system containing benzimidazole structure, which improves the proton conduction efficiency while enhancing the chemical stability of membrane materials. Compared with traditional perfluorosulfonic acid membranes, the non-fluorine resin-based membrane materials developed by the company have a wide range of raw material sources, and the synthesis route is closer to the conventional polymer processing technology, which is conducive to large-scale production and recycling, and has differentiated advantages in terms of energy conversion efficiency, system safety and comprehensive cost. As of 2025, the company has laid out a number of invention patents in the directions of thin diaphragms for alkaline water electrolysis, synthesis of block sulfonated polymers, preparation of high-durability diaphragms, and PEM membrane electrode units, forming a technical chain from resin synthesis to membrane preparation and then to membrane electrode development.
In terms of product application, alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen production diaphragms are mainly used in large-scale green hydrogen production projects, meeting the needs of mainstream domestic alkaline electrolyzer manufacturers; non-perfluorinated proton exchange membranes are oriented to PEM water electrolysis hydrogen production and fuel cell scenarios, meeting the requirements of distributed hydrogen production, transportation hydrogen energy and other scenarios for dynamic response and high current density operation; for long-duration energy storage scenarios such as all-vanadium flow batteries, the company simultaneously develops high-durability ion exchange membranes to support the demand of new power systems for long-cycle energy storage equipment. This product matrix that spans alkaline and acidic systems, and spans hydrogen production and energy storage scenarios, enables Aoliyun New Energy to cover multiple high-value links in the hydrogen energy and energy storage industry chain.
Overseas returnee team completes angel round verification, new round of financing targets pilot test and customer expansion
The core R&D team of Aoliyun New Energy is led by overseas returnee experts from Japan, and its core members graduated from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tsinghua University, Harbin Institute of Technology and other universities, with R&D and industrialization experience in leading international membrane material enterprises. The team has accumulated many years of experience in molecular design of electrochemical membrane materials, polymer synthesis process and coating film forming engineering, enabling the company to complete laboratory construction and achieve key technological breakthroughs in a relatively short time after its establishment.
In October 2024, Aoliyun New Energy completed an angel round financing of tens of millions of RMB, led by Tongchuang Weiye, with institutions including Veken Group participating in the investment. The funds from the angel round were mainly used for laboratory construction, development of core resin synthesis processes and preparation of the first batch of samples. The company has achieved phased breakthroughs in the fields of non-heavy metal and non-fluorine processes, and relevant diaphragm samples have entered the downstream customer test and verification stage, and established cooperative relations with some electrolyzer and energy storage system manufacturers. In October 2024, the company invested in setting up a wholly-owned subsidiary, Weisheng Hydrogen Source (Ningbo) Technology Co., Ltd. in Ningbo, to provide support for subsequent industrialization implementation and regional customer services.
It is understood that Aoliyun New Energy has officially launched the next round of financing. This round of financing will be mainly used for the construction of the pilot production line, the improvement of the mass production capacity of core products, as well as downstream customer certification and market expansion. After completing the pilot test verification, the company plans to gradually promote the layout of large-scale production capacity, and provide domestic high-performance membrane material solutions for alkaline electrolyzer, PEM electrolyzer, flow battery and fuel cell manufacturers.
Against the backdrop of the continuous advancement of the medium and long-term plan for the hydrogen energy industry and the dual carbon goals, the green hydrogen production and long-duration energy storage market is entering a stage of large-scale growth. As a key bottleneck link, core diaphragm materials have broad space for domestic substitution. With its fluorine-free resin technology route and dual-route diaphragm product matrix, Aoliyun New Energy is expected to occupy an important position in the process of localized production of hydrogen energy and energy storage membrane materials.