Marcus Ruebsam, Co-FounderThe AI-native, cloud-based platform equips industrial users, energy developers and infrastructure operators with real-time insights and centralized control, enabling smarter decisions and more efficient management at every stage of production. By embedding AI at its core, it anticipates uncertainties and optimizes production, storage, distribution and resources to help operators lower costs and maximize performance.
“We give stakeholders a single, intelligent platform to manage the entire hydrogen project lifecycle,” says Marcus Ruebsam, co-founder.
CibusCell guides the journey, starting with investment planning, continuing through real-time operational control and extending to future scenario modeling for long-term performance. Developers, investors, regulators and partners can collaborate seamlessly on the platform, ensuring decisions are data-driven and aligned with operational and financial goals.
Building the platform on Microsoft Azure assures the reliability and scalability clients need for efficient hydrogen production management. Fragmented systems are eliminated, creating a unified environment where intelligence continuously drives efficiency. Clients have already reported cost reductions of up to 40 percent, demonstrating CibusCell’s effectiveness in maximizing efficiency and minimizing costs.
Optimizing Hydrogen Projects from Day One
CibusCell’s client engagement model is designed to support hydrogen projects well before plant construction begins.
During the investment planning stage, it helps clients design the most effective and cost-efficient setup for their production goals. This early-stage planning doesn't require a working plant. Everything is simulated within the platform to explore multiple scenarios. Factored in are CapEx, OpEx and lifecycle costs, along with key variables such as access to green electricity, regulatory considerations, expected hydrogen demand and offtake commitments. Data is used to calculate the optimal layout for renewable energy sourcing, and the size and configuration of core components like electrolyzers, storage tanks and trailer distribution. The ability to model and optimize before building prevents overinvestment, underutilization and poor asset sizing.
Once the plant design is finalized and investment decisions are made, CibusCell focuses on operational optimization. It connects to the entire hydrogen infrastructure in real time, using IoT integration to gather data from electrolyzers, storage tanks, transport trailers and end-use applications like industrial burners and mobility fleets. The platform continuously analyzes sensor data, weather forecasts, and electricity market prices to simulate and update optimal production schedules.
Clients can explore how future shifts in electricity availability or renewable generation patterns might affect production costs, or assess whether integrating battery storage into their system would reduce volatility and improve returns
At the core of this phase is the ability to optimize hydrogen production hour by hour and day by day, always targeting the lowest possible cost per kilogram. Whether electricity is procured from the spot market or self-generated from renewables, CibusCell uses machine learning and time-series forecasting to balance supply, demand, storage levels and technical constraints.
Complete automation is one of its core capabilities, and a key differentiator. Once the client defines cost thresholds and operational preferences, the platform autonomously manages the entire hydrogen production process 24/7. This includes starting and stopping electrolyzers, controlling storage systems, buying or withholding electricity from the market and adjusting production schedules based on real-time data.
The automation is not just rule-based. It’s driven by optimization algorithms and machine learning models that constantly evaluate cost, efficiency, hardware performance and market dynamics. This shift from manual, spreadsheet-driven planning to automated, AI-driven optimization helps clients adapt to dynamic conditions without guesswork.
The third pillar focuses on ongoing financial simulation and business optimization. The platform calculates the most efficient way to run electrolyzers and analyzes how these decisions impact long-term asset value and profitability. It includes factors like equipment ramp-up times, degradation and hardware lifecycle costs to help clients understand the immediate and cumulative impact of their operational choices.
“Clients can explore how future shifts in electricity availability or renewable generation patterns might affect production costs, or assess whether integrating battery storage into their system would reduce volatility and improve returns,” says Ruebsam.
Demand-side variables are also considered, allowing users to forecast how different offtake patterns or market prices affect their bottom line.
Building Germany’s Hydrogen Backbone
Open Grid Europe (OGE), one of Germany’s leading gas grid operators, partnered with CibusCell to digitally transform its hydrogen production operations and unlock the full potential of renewable energy.
With Germany targeting carbon neutrality by 2045, OGE launched the pioneering KRUH2 project that uses surplus wind power from onshore and offshore turbines to produce green hydrogen via an electrolyzer. A major roadblock was the inability to digitally map the end-to-end hydrogen production process, which made real-time monitoring, forecasting and optimization nearly impossible.
-
We give stakeholders a single, intelligent platform to manage the entire hydrogen project lifecycle
Working with CibusCell, the company used Microsoft Fabric to develop a digital twin of the entire production process. This solution aggregates and evaluates real-time data from electrolyzers, storage units and energy systems, creating a centralized foundation for data-driven operations. Integrating real-time electricity pricing data from the European Energy Exchange with internal production cost metrics enabled OGE to calculate the cost of producing one kilogram of hydrogen at any given moment and dynamically adjust operations.
Further enhanced by machine learning models, the platform began offering predictive and economic optimization capabilities. CibusCell's advanced algorithms suggested when to run or pause production, store energy, and buy electricity from the market based on current cost conditions and hardware availability. OGE reduced hydrogen production costs by up to 50 percent, significantly increasing operational efficiency while aligning with Germany's stringent regulatory environment for energy infrastructure.Though OGE cannot currently sell the hydrogen it produces due to regulatory restrictions, it uses it to power the site itself, making the project a successful proof of concept for sustainable sector coupling. The collaboration with CibusCell delivered meaningful operational improvements and positioned OGE to contribute actively to the development of Germany’s future hydrogen transport network.
Built With the User at the Center for Seamless Operation
To ensure the platform meets real operational needs, CibusCell follows a structured design thinking methodology. The process begins with defining user personas and involving key stakeholders. Through an iterative feedback process conducted every two weeks, users are presented with updated prototypes and interface concepts, allowing them to continuously reshape development. This results in tools that are tailored to their day-to-day workflows.
In parallel with this user-centric design approach, CibusCell begins mapping and integrating data sources essential to hydrogen production. These include connections to electrolyzers, wind and solar farms, storage systems and offtake points. Once the data connections are established, the platform tests and validates data flows to ensure they function reliably. With this dual-track development model— design-led customization and robust data integration—clients typically receive a fully operational platform within three to six months.The development process is far quicker for clients interested solely in investment planning. A focused, One-day workshop is offered, followed by access to a customized dashboard. During the workshop, clients can explore various co-developed, predefined investment scenarios. The dashboards are designed for clarity and convenience, allowing users to export results for internal use, such as in printable formats or PDFs.
Built with flexibility at its core, the platform aligns with country-specific regulations. For instance, the definition of green hydrogen can vary significantly between regions. What qualifies as green in Germany may differ from the standard in France. The platform is designed to accommodate these variations by allowing users to adjust regulatory parameters. It can also factor in local requirements such as storage regulations, trading fees or energy certificate values. This adaptability ensures stakeholders can simulate and plan within the correct legal and market framework, regardless of geography.
Working as a digital control tower that brings visibility and automation to every part of the hydrogen value chain, CibusCell is a go-to partner for building cost-efficient, intelligent, future-ready green hydrogen infrastructure.
