Topsoe to build world ’ s largest SOEC electrolyzer plant Topsoe has taken final investment decision to begin construction of an SOEC electrolyzer manufacturing plant in Herning , Denmark . The plant will have a manufacturing capacity of 500 MW per year , with an option to expand to 5 GW . Construction is set to start in the second half of 2022 .
Commenting on the announcement , Roeland Baan , CEO of Topsoe , said : “ 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 . We are dedicated to taking the lead on scaling power-to-x technology to help drive the energy transition , and we are investing over DKK 2 billion to meet this de-
Projects & Pilots
mand and address this fundamental supply weakness . This is the single biggest investment in the company ’ s history , clearly highlighting our commitment to driving the energy transition , and we hope this huge facility will act as a catalyst for new investment in the future .”
At 500 MW capacity per year , the new facility will be the world ’ s largest SOEC manufacturing plant . This is a rapid acceleration not just for Topsoe , but also for Denmark and the EU towards a green energy transition while reducing dependence on fossil fuels .
World ’ s first offshore green H 2 production pilot inaugurated On 22 September , French green hydrogen producer Lhyfe launched Sealhyfe , the world ’ s first offshore green hydrogen production facility . Located in the port of Saint- Nazaire , France , the Sealhyfe platform has the capacity to produce up to 400 kg of renewable green hydrogen a day , which is equivalent to 1 MW of power .
The first , six-month trial phase is being started at quay to obtain initial reference measurements and test all of the systems ( desalination and cooling systems , stack behaviour , remote control , energy management , resistance to environmental conditions , etc .).
At the end of this first stage , Sealhyfe will spend a period of 12 months off the Atlantic coast , about 20 km from Le Croisic . There , it will be installed less than a kilometre from the floating wind turbine , fixed to the ground by a system of anchors and connected to the site ’ s underwater hub using an umbilical designed and dedicated for this application ( energy and data transfer ).
At the end of this trial , Lhyfe will have a substantial volume of data , which should allow it to design mature offshore production systems and to deploy robust and proven technologies on a large scale .
The electrolyser was supplied and optimised for offshore operating conditions by Plug Power .
38 Hydrogen Tech World | Issue 6 | October 2022