Electrolyser manufacturer Topsoe has taken FID on a solid-oxide electrolyser cell (SOEC) manufacturing facility in Herning, Denmark.

The 500MW/yr project will be the world’s largest SOEC production facility and could be expanded to 5GW/yr in the future, assuming adequate demand. The DKK2bn ($270mn) project is the single biggest investment in the firm’s history.

“The case for using electrolysis to produce green fuels is now well established, but manufacturing capacity has always been the challenge. We are facing this challenge head on,” says Topsoe CEO Roeland Baan.

Topsoe says it has already pre-sold 500MW of capacity from the facility and is in discussions with other potential offtake partners.

500MW – Capacity pre-sold from the plant

“We look towards the EU and the Danish government for long-term incentives and supportive framework conditions to continue to accelerate the green hydrogen market and anchor large-scale electrolyser production right here in the EU,” Baan adds.

The facility is expected to be operational in 2024 and will have a workforce of 170.

Growing technology

Proton-exchange-membrane and alkaline electrolysis are the two most established technologies in use today, with anion-exchange-membrane and SOEC technologies seen as potential rivals.

Solid-oxide electrolysis can have an efficiency rate of up to 80pc, compared with 60pc for alkaline electrolysis, but is still less commercially developed.

Other SOEC manufacturers include Sunfire and Ceres. Ceres says it has committed £100mn ($122mn) for the development of its SOEC technology, with the aim of achieving a levelised cost of hydrogen of $1.5/kg by 2025.

---

Author: Tom Young