Hydrogen Electrolyzer & Fuel Cell Manufacturing worked example

Membrane Electrode Cost at 70% usable mea share after die-cut and pinhole reject: a worked example

This worked example runs the membrane electrode cost numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: 70% usable mea share after die-cut and pinhole reject instead of the typical 97%. Estimate the loaded cost of MEAs (membrane electrode assemblies) or CCMs in a PEM electrolyzer or PEMFC stack from cell count, MEA price per cell, the usable share after CCM trim and pinhole rejects, and a fixed coating or tooling adder.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Active cells per stack: 60 cells (held at the documented default)
  • MEA or CCM price per cell: 95 $ / cell (held at the documented default)
  • Usable MEA share after die-cut and pinhole reject: 70 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 97)
  • Fixed coating, lamination, or tooling cost per stack: 450 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Variable MEA cost per stack = active cells per stack × MEA price per cell × usable share.
  • Total MEA cost per stack works out to 4,440 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • MEA cost per cell loaded works out to 74 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Variable MEA cost per stack works out to 3,990 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed coating, lamination, or tooling cost works out to 450 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where usable mea share after die-cut and pinhole reject sits at 97% and the headline result is 5,979 $, this scenario comes in 25.74% below the baseline at 4,440 $.
  • Use it when building a stack unit-cost model or evaluating how die-cut yield and CCM pricing affect MEA spend per stack. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Total MEA cost per stack: 4,440 $ (headline result)
  • MEA cost per cell loaded: 74 $ / piece
  • Variable MEA cost per stack: 3,990 $
  • Fixed coating, lamination, or tooling cost: 450 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Membrane Electrode Cost calculator, set usable mea share after die-cut and pinhole reject to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.