Sunfire and Industrial Park Lausitz have broken ground on a new green hydrogen test facility at BASF’s Schwarzheide site in Brandenburg, Germany, where the electrolyser developer will test its latest and most powerful solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) technology under industrial conditions.
The facility is intended to provide long-duration operational data ahead of the first commercial deployments of Sunfire’s latest SOEC generation. The project also strengthens Schwarzheide’s position as a testing ground for hydrogen technologies and supports the wider development of the Lausitz industrial region.
SOEC systems operate at temperatures of around 850°C. By using high-temperature steam and, where available, industrial waste heat, the technology can achieve electrical efficiencies of up to 89% on an LHV, AC basis, according to Sunfire. The company argues that this can reduce the energy required to produce hydrogen and, consequently, its levelised cost.
The Schwarzheide installation will allow the technology to be assessed against the practical demands of an operating industrial site rather than under laboratory conditions. Sunfire says the testing programme is intended to provide the final technical and operational evidence needed before commercial projects are implemented.
“SOEC technology has the potential to become another key technology for industrial decarbonization,” said Sunfire CEO Nils Aldag. He described the Schwarzheide project as part of the company’s strategy to accelerate commercialisation of high-temperature electrolysis.
The choice of location is also significant. BASF’s site provides access to industrial infrastructure and potential sources of waste heat, which are particularly relevant to SOEC technology.
Sunfire CTO Christian von Olshausen said using available waste heat can help high-temperature electrolysis achieve “record efficiency levels” and lower the cost of producing green hydrogen and synthesis gas.
BASF InfraService & Solutions Lausitz chairman Jürgen Fuchs said the project demonstrated the site’s ability to move industrial investments from planning to implementation quickly, highlighting the rapid work undertaken to secure grid connection.
For Sunfire, the next challenge is demonstrating that the efficiency advantages of SOEC can be translated into reliable, scalable operation over the long term. The Schwarzheide facility is intended to provide that evidence.
