Short answer
When designing water electrolysers and fuel cells, proactively assess and mitigate risks associated with critical material supply chains by considering environmental, social, and circular economy factors alongside technical performance.
- Field
- Sustainability
- Source
- Communications Earth & Environment (2025)
- Method
- Systematic review and multi-dimensional assessment
- Evidence
- Strong effect
The sustainable supply of critical materials for water electrolysers and fuel cells is not a singular issue but a complex interplay of supply disruption risk, environmental and social impacts, resource depletion, circularity, and substitutability. This sustainability research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Communications Earth & Environment. Using Systematic review and multi-dimensional assessment, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing water electrolysers and fuel cells, proactively assess and mitigate risks associated with critical material supply chains by considering environmental, social, and circular economy factors alongside technical performance.
Critical material sustainability in water electrolysers and fuel cells requires multi-dimensional assessment.
The sustainable supply of critical materials for water electrolysers and fuel cells is not a singular issue but a complex interplay of supply disruption risk, environmental and social impacts, resource depletion, circularity, and substitutability.
Communications Earth & Environment · 2025
Key Findings
- 01Alkaline electrolysers face challenges primarily related to resource depletion pressure and substitutability.
- 02PEM electrolysers are most challenged by supply disruption risk.
- 03Solid oxide electrolysers present challenges across supply disruption risk, resource depletion pressure, and circularity.
- 04Different critical materials (nickel, zirconium, platinum, iridium, titanium, lanthanum, yttrium, strontium) have varying sustainability profiles.
Application
Design takeaway
When designing water electrolysers and fuel cells, proactively assess and mitigate risks associated with critical material supply chains by considering environmental, social, and circular economy factors alongside technical performance.
How to apply
Before finalizing material selections for a new electrolyser or fuel cell design, conduct a multi-dimensional sustainability assessment of the proposed critical materials, considering their sourcing, environmental impact, and end-of-life options.
Project actions
- 01When choosing materials for your design, research their supply chain sustainability.
- 02Consider the environmental and social impacts of your material choices.
- 03Explore options for material recycling or substitution in your design process.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Provides a comprehensive, multi-dimensional framework for assessing material sustainability.
- +Applies this framework to key technologies in the energy transition.
Limitations
The availability of detailed, up-to-date data for all six sustainability dimensions for every material can be challenging to obtain.
Reliability & validity
The study's reliability is supported by its systematic compilation of data across multiple dimensions. Validity is enhanced by considering a range of technologies and materials, though the subjective nature of some 'impact' assessments could introduce variability.
Think critically
To what extent can technological innovation in material science and engineering mitigate the identified sustainability challenges for critical materials in energy technologies?
Design Principles
"Design for Material Resilience: Prioritize material choices and system designs that minimize reliance on critically scarce resources and mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities."
Designers and engineers developing next-generation energy technologies must consider the entire lifecycle and supply chain of critical materials. A narrow focus on performance alone can lead to unsustainable product designs that face future material scarcity or regulatory challenges.
What This Means for Your Design
When designing things like fuel cells, you can't just think about how well they work. You also need to think about where the special materials come from, if they're bad for the environment, and if we can recycle them later. Different types of fuel cells have different problems with their materials.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this study when discussing the material selection process and its sustainability implications in your design project.
- 2.Use the six dimensions (supply disruption risk, environmental impact, social impact, resource depletion pressure, circularity, and substitutability) as a framework for evaluating material choices.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
The selection of critical materials for energy technologies like water electrolysers and fuel cells necessitates a comprehensive sustainability assessment, considering factors such as supply chain risks, environmental and social impacts, resource depletion, circularity, and substitutability, as highlighted by research into these technologies.
Source
Communications Earth & Environment
Sustainable supply of critical materials for water electrolysers and fuel cells
journal · 2025
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about critical material sustainability in water electrolysers and fuel cells requires multi-dimensional assessment?
- When designing water electrolysers and fuel cells, proactively assess and mitigate risks associated with critical material supply chains by considering environmental, social, and circular economy factors alongside technical performance. Evidence: Communications Earth & Environment (2025).
- Why does "Critical material sustainability in water electrolysers and fuel cells requires multi-dimensional assessment." matter for design?
- Designers and engineers developing next-generation energy technologies must consider the entire lifecycle and supply chain of critical materials. A narrow focus on performance alone can lead to unsustainable product designs that face future material scarcity or regulatory challenges.
- How can designers apply this research?
- When designing water electrolysers and fuel cells, proactively assess and mitigate risks associated with critical material supply chains by considering environmental, social, and circular economy factors alongside technical performance.
- What were the main findings?
- Alkaline electrolysers face challenges primarily related to resource depletion pressure and substitutability.. PEM electrolysers are most challenged by supply disruption risk.. Solid oxide electrolysers present challenges across supply disruption risk, resource depletion pressure, and circularity.. Different critical materials (nickel, zirconium, platinum, iridium, titanium, lanthanum, yttrium, strontium) have varying sustainability profiles.
- What research method was used?
- Systematic review and multi-dimensional assessment.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2025 journal from Communications Earth & Environment.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- Before finalizing material selections for a new electrolyser or fuel cell design, conduct a multi-dimensional sustainability assessment of the proposed critical materials, considering their sourcing, environmental impact, and end-of-life options.
- What are the limitations?
- The assessment is based on current knowledge and may not fully account for future technological advancements or geopolitical shifts affecting material availability and sustainability.