PEM Water Electrolysis

Dr. Dmitri Bessarabov joined DST HySA Infrastructure Center of Competence at North-West University and CSIR in 2010. He was recruited for a position from Canada as an internationally-recognised scientist with academic and industrial decision-making experience in the area of membranes, hydrogen and electro-catalytic membrane systems for energy applications and fuel cells. He obtained his PhD from Stellenbosch University in membrane technology for gas separation. Dr Dmitri Bessarabov held positions in Aker Kvaerner Chemetics, Ballard Power Systems and the Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation (AFCC). Dmitri is also National Research Foundation-rated scientist in South Africa. His expertise includes membranes, MEAs and CCMs. He was leading CCM and MEA integration research team at AFCC for HyWAY 5 automotive program. His current responsibilities at HySA include leadership in the National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Programme (HySA), providing excellence in management, research and product development, HySA Infrastructure Business Plan development and implementation, supply-chain and business development, engagement of industry into development activities.

1986 : Diploma of electrochemical engineering at “Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Electrochimie et d’Electrométallurgie", Grenoble, France 1989 : PhD in electrochemistry from “Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble”, France; Laboratory : Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Centre d’Etudes Nucléaires de Grenoble, France. PhD title : Preparation and optimisation of membrane-electrode assemblies. Application to water electrolysis.

Bruno G. Pollet is a full Professor of Renewable Energy at the Department of Energy and Process Engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim. His research covers a wide range of areas in Electrochemical Engineering, Electrochemical Energy and Sono-electrochemistry (the use of Power Ultrasound in Electrochemistry) from the development of novel materials, hydrogen fuel cell to water treatment/disinfection demonstrators & prototypes. He was a Professor of Energy Materials and Systems at the University of the Western Cape (South Africa) and R&D Director of the National Hydrogen South Africa (HySA) Systems Competence Centre. He was also a co-founder and an Associate Director of the University of Birmingham Centre for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research in the UK. He was awarded a Diploma in Chemistry and Material Sciences from the Université Joseph Fourier (France), a BSc (Hons) in Applied Chemistry from Coventry University (UK) and an MSc in Analytical Chemistry from The University of Aberdeen (UK). He also gained his PhD in Physical Chemistry in the field of Electrochemistry and Sonochemistry at the Coventry University Sonochemistry Centre.