Thread by @rainerkungas

Our review paper on recent advances in solid oxide cells for #electrolysis has been published today in @ScienceMagazine ( science.sciencemag.org/content/370/65… ) Here are the main points from the paper (a thread, 1/15) 👇

Electrolysis (using electricity to drive chemical reactions) is a key technology for tackling #CO2emissions in the areas of our economy that are difficult to #decarbonize: heavy transport (planes, ships, trucks) and the production of chemicals, steel, cement, and glass. (2/15)

For heavy transport, e.g. large planes or container ships, direct electrification (batteries) is not an option due to low energy density of batteries compared to liquid fuels. Climate-friendly fuels can be made by combining electrolysis with chemical synthesis (e.g. FT). (3/15)

In the chemical industry, #hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO) are important building blocks (think LEGO), involved in the production of most everyday chemicals. When electrolysis is powered by low-carbon energy sources, H2 and CO can be produced with minimal emissions. (4/15)

In a future energy system relying mostly on renewables, we will also need electrolyzers for storing large amounts of energy during periods of overproduction (sunny and windy day). Chemical storage is by far cheaper and more compact than battery storage. (5/15)

For example, to decarbonize heavy transport in EU, an estimated 7500 TWh storage is needed. This is equivalent to 50 billion Tesla Model 3’s or 160 times the amount of cars in EU today. This is not realistic - we will also need liquid fuels in the future. (6/15)

Three electrolysis technologies exist today: alkaline, PEM (polymer-electrolyte-membrane) and solid oxide ( #SOEC ). Alkaline electrolysis has been around for >100 years, but is inefficient (a large part of the electricity fed into the electrolyzer is lost as heat). (7/15)

Solid oxide electrolysis, #SOEC, is often disregarded as immature technology that is “still in R&D phase”, but if realized, would offer unrivaled electrolysis efficiencies. In fact, 100% efficiency is possible on cell-level under certain conditions. blog.topsoe.com/how-can-electr… (8/15)

Why is efficiency so important? Because electricity is the main cost component for all future chemicals that rely on electrolysis. This includes green hydrogen, gasoline, #ammonia, #methanol and #jetfuel. SOEC is the most efficient technology for splitting water or CO2. (9/15)

The main message of the paper is: solid oxide electrolysis is more mature than most people think. The technology is ready for industrial scale-up, and the scale-up is in fact already happening at a rapid pace. (10/15)

On cell-level, the performance has more than doubled and the durability has improved by a factor of 100. Cumulative testing time of SOEC stacks based on literature data exceeds 20 years, and is likely a gross underestimate (not all industry tests are reported). (11/15)

The size of electrolysis plants based on SOEC is increasing. @HaldorTopsoe has recently shipped two 96 Nm3/h plants, the first commercial SOEC plants in the world. The plants will be located in Ohio, USA. blog.topsoe.com/delille-oxygen… (12/15)

Plants with a production capacity of 720 Nm3/h have received funding and will come online in the next few years. We believe we are less than 10 years away from being able to supply H2 for full-scale methanol plants (ca 10000 Nm3/h). (13/15)

For renewables to succeed, we are going to need electrolyzers. Actually, massive amounts of electrolyzers. While our paper highlights the advantages of SOECs, there will be plenty of room for all electrolysis technologies going forward. The future is electrified! (14/15)

I would like to thank my co-authors @annehauch and Mogens Mogensen from @DTUEnergy, @pebletu and John B. Hansen from @HaldorTopsoe, @bavnh_j from @EnerginetDK, @BrianVad from @aalborguni for the excellent collaboration. (15/15)

Also, happy hydrogen day! #HydrogenDay