Topsoe, a global leader in carbon emission reduction technologies; ABB, a technology leader in electrification and automation; and Fluor, a leader in engineering, procurement and construction services, have formed an alliance to design a standardised concept for building Topsoe’s next Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOEC) factory.

The aim is to continuously develop processes to reduce costs, enhance safety, and secure an efficient project execution via a standardised approach, a statement said.

Momentum for green hydrogen projects is growing and production levels can potentially increase substantially by 2030 if all announced projects are realised. According to the International Energy Agency's (IEA) Global Hydrogen Review 2023, the annual production of hydrogen may reach 38 million tonnes per year in 2030, with almost 75 percent coming from electrolyzers running on renewable energy.

Topsoe is currently building its first SOEC factory in Herning, Denmark, which is expected to be in operation by late 2024. Building on the Herning factory project experience, the alliance will have the capabilities and know how to build the next factory more efficiently and through a standardized concept, it said.

The next factory will – subject to final investment decision – be built in Chesterfield, Virginia, and is expected to be operational by 2028.

Kim Hedegaard, CEO Power-to-X at Topsoe, said: “We’re committed to take a leading role in driving the energy transition forward. E-fuels are an important part of the equation to reach global net zero in 2050, and we need to scale electrolyzer capacity and production of e-fuels at a higher pace than is happening today. Our SOEC solutions for production of green hydrogen can deliver a substantial contribution to the e-fuels economy and with the alliance we can build our next SOEC factory more efficient and faster.”

Brandon Spencer, President of ABB Energy Industries, said: “Progressing the energy transition at any acceptable pace and scale will require collaboration and balance between existing and new technologies, driven by formal partnerships that span the entire energy value chain. By joining forces with Topsoe and Fluor and delivering our automation and electrical expertise as part of this alliance, we can support the scaling of technology to enable society’s efforts to move towards a net-zero future.”

Richard Meserole, President of Fluor’s Advanced Technologies & Life Sciences business, said: “Fluor is proud to be part of this collaboration supporting the state-of-the-art production of electrolyzers for green hydrogen as part of the global energy transition. Fluor looks forward to continuing to help our clients and partners achieve their decarbonization goals.”

Topsoe’s SOEC electrolysis technology is a modular design that operates at significantly higher temperatures compared to other electrolyzer technologies – a tested and proven process that enables industrial-scale production of green hydrogen using renewable electricity.

When coupled with waste heat from downstream production (from processes producing ammonia, methanol or steel production), Topsoe’s SOEC technology will produce 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.