In Denmark, Topsoe A/S, a global leader in carbon emission reduction technologies, has announced that it has been awarded a EUR 94 million grant from the EU's Innovation Fund toward the construction of the company’s first electrolyzer manufacturing facility in Herning, Denmark. Currently under construction, the new Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cells (SOEC) production facility is the largest investment in Topsoe’s history.
According to Topsoe, energy-efficient Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cells (SOEC) are essential in the production of green hydrogen and its derivatives.
Electrolyzers are key for decarbonizing energy-intensive industries like steel, mining, and long-distance transportation which account for approximately 30 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and cannot easily be electrified.
I’m very proud that the Innovation Fund acknowledges our technology leadership and our decision to take the first steps in increasing European electrolyzer manufacturing capacity. EU funding is key in supporting the industry’s endeavors to back the green hydrogen economy and contribute to the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality target. We’re facing an immense task to decarbonize energy-intensive industries and long-distance transportation, and at Topsoe we’re doing our part. This grant from the EU demonstrates how public incentives and private innovation can bring us closer to net zero, said Roeland Baan, CEO at Topsoe.
In Europe, the EU Commission has announced a proposal to deploy 40 GW of hydrogen electrolyzer installation and 10 million tonnes of green hydrogen production.
When used to produce green hydrogen, electrolyzers from Topsoe’s factory will reduce emissions by approximately 7.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent over the first ten years of operation when compared to hydrogen produced from natural gas.
The grant is a recognition of Topsoe’s state-of-the-art SOEC electrolysis technology and the innovation inherent in building this first-of-its-kind SOEC production facility – Topsoe’s single largest investment to date.
Once fully operational, the plant will employ 200 people and also create numerous indirect job opportunities through its supply chain, building and maintenance, infrastructure, and logistics.
We’re incredibly honored to have been awarded such a prestigious grant. The energy transition demands careful use of resources to maximize outputs, and our SOEC technology is up to 30 percent more efficient than competing technologies. Our Herning factory is hopefully the first of many, enabling Topsoe to take a leading role in decarbonizing shipping, aviation, steel, and more industries. This is an exciting step for Topsoe, Denmark, and the EU, said Kim Hedegaard, CEO of Power-to-X at Topsoe.
