Mastering the Art of Perfectly Thin Membranes – and Pizza Doughs

Meet our new Chief Technology Officer Martin Suul, membrane expert and sourdough enthusiast. Those two things have more in common than you would think.

Martin Aunemo Suul’s LinkedIn summary is very much to the point for Hydrogen Mem-Tech’s new CTO: “Evolving technology and organizing growth. Jumpstarting the green shift”. 

That could even be the summary of Hydrogen Mem-Tech itself. Which is fitting, as the technology, converting bio- and natural gases into pure hydrogen, really is the core of the company’s value proposition – and the new CTO’s responsibilities.

Like many of us at Hydrogen Mem-Tech, Martin Suul started out working in the oil and gas industry, entering the company in its earliest phase.

The 36-year-old can be described as a typically “homegrown talent”, graduating from Norway’s traditional engineering powerhouse NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) in Hydrogen Mem-Tech’s hometown of Trondheim. His Master of Science’s degree was in subsea construction, writing a thesis on wear and tear of sub-sea oil and gas pipelines. 

“I have my background in metallurgy and membrane manufacturing, so I am predisposed to be a nerd about our palladium membrane!”, he quips.

MEMBRANE MASTERS: Marie Strømsheim and Martin Suul showcasing Hydrogen Mem-Tech's palladium membrane.

Yes, the palladium membrane. The very centre of Hydrogen Mem-Tech’s technology. And thus, also the very centre of all research and development going on at the company’s Trondheim headquarters, and out “in the field”, with testing and implementation at various customers’ sites.

“We have learned a lot so far concerning what the market looks like and what it demands from us. It’s as simple as this: If our technology gets more and more effective, it will be more and more valuable for our customers,” he says.

According to Martin Suul, Hydrogen Mem-Tech’s tech and products will always be measured on two success factors: How pure the hydrogen output is, and the amount of hydrogen output – what we call the Hydrogen Recovery Factor (HRF). What is most important for individual customers will depend on what they are using the hydrogen for in the end.

“We are continuously working to improve and optimise our hydrogen separator, especially concerning the design. It’s a typical case of the devil in the details,” Martin explains. 

“For instance, how the gas is flowing across the membrane has a lot to say. Or how the design details close to the palladium membrane affect the purity or the hydrogen recovery factor.”

When Martin describes this work, it sounds a bit like working out; hitting the gym to get stronger and improve your performance – and lose a little weight while you’re at it.

“If we can make a slightly slimmer and less heavy separator, we will probably achieve an even better output, so this is important and exciting work for us. More bang for the buck!”

When we talk about hydrogen purity, that’s all in the quality of the membrane, according to Martin Suul.

“The perfect membrane is super thin and super tight, so the challenge is finding the ideal combination of thickness and tightness. We already have a competitive advantage with our patented thin palladium membranes, so improving them even more is a very motivating task.”

In terms of technology and business strategy, Hydrogen Mem-Tech’s roadmap going forward has three broad avenues. The first is supplying excellent technological solutions for ammonia production (you can read more about our exciting Pallamonia project here). The second is working closely with marine customers, implementing our palladium membranes in their ships and installations, converting methanol into electricity. And the third one, which is coined “Pre-water gas shift”, is exploring more of a chemical process to create a higher and more effective hydrogen output.

“From my point of view, you need a solid strategy to keep focused. When you work with research and development, there are so many shiny new objects on the horizon, and so many rabbit holes you can fall into. We must focus on those strategic goals and not get distracted too much. It boils down to priorities – what to prioritise and when to prioritise it.”

GOOD COMPANY: Hydrogen Mem-Tech's CEO Hanne Martinussen and CTO Martin Suul with process engineer Espen Tøndell (with the fishing pole).

One exciting aspect that is very much on point strategically is – pun intended – the separation of the palladium membrane from the actual Hydrogen Mem-Tech separator.

Some customers would like to buy only the patented palladium membrane and install it in their own “black boxes” – packaged solutions constituted by various technologies and vendors.

“What is interesting about this is that it challenges our original perspective on what we define as a product,” reflects Martin.

“For some customers it makes business sense to have the whole package from us, the separator. For others, it’s more interesting to integrate our technology into their own designs. And for us, just delivering the membrane is a bit like sending your kid away on a plane as an unaccompanied minor.”

Speaking of membrane: the new Chief Technology Officer at Hydrogen Mem-Tech has a life outside the office and lab. His not-very-cheap off-road and downhill bike is one example of a hobby where the convergence of technologies, optimised gear and effective execution are much in focus. Not to forget golf.

“Add to that my passion for port wine, and you have the oldest 36-year-old around, haha!”

And then we have another culinary passion, and a case where thickness and optimisation are important: sourdough pizza.

“That started out during those cabin fever days of Covid. We got ourselves a sourdough starter. It makes for excellent pizzas, but you must tweak a lot and be very focused and detailed to get the best result. It’s not very different from what I do on the job, so it’s probably an occupational disorder for me. Much to my wife’s disdain, I am way too perfectionistic about this – to the degree that the kids are not allowed anywhere near those pizza doughs!”