At its demonstration site in Frederikssund, Denmark, Topsoe ran a 2,250-hour demonstration in industrial conditions of 12 Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell (SOEC) stacks, which included 1,200 cells, operating at a combined stack power of 350 kW. The purpose was to demonstrate the technology’s capabilities in a hydrogen plant and validate the SOEC electrolyzers under industrial-standard intensity.

After completion of the test, all 1,200 cells were shown to operate at high levels of stability while maintaining stable temperature levels.

The great test results demonstrate the capabilities of our SOEC technology. It is a much more efficient solution to meet the need for a rapid decarbonization of our planet compared to conventional electrolysis technologies and ready to make a positive impact in the Power-to-X industry.

—Kim Hedegaard, CEO Power-to-X at Topsoe

The demonstration is an important milestone in developing and scaling SOEC electrolysis technology, as well as Topsoe’s wider mission to enable the energy transition by bringing efficient, scalable, and innovative decarbonization technology to market.

The EU Innovation Fund awarded a €94-million grant in December 2023 for Topsoe’s SOEC factory in Herning, Denmark. This work has received financial support from the project “SOEC Upscale”, funded by European Regional Development Fund via the grant REACTRF-22-0076.

Topsoe’s SOEC electrolysis technology is a modular design that operates at significantly higher temperatures compared to other electrolyzer technologies. When coupled with waste heat from downstream production (from processes producing ammonia, methanol, or steel production), Topsoe’s SOEC technology will produces 30% more hydrogen per total power input when compared to conventional electrolyzer technologies. It further allows for the lowest levelized hydrogen cost per megawatt volume, no matter the industry, the company says.