The EU’s Innovation Fund has awarded Topsoe €94 million for the construction in Herning, Denmark, of the company’s first electrolyser manufacturing facility. It is the largest investment in Topsoe’s history. The factory is expected to be operational by 2024 and will produce Solid Oxide Electrolyser Cells. Initial factory capacity is to be 500 MW with the option to scale further.
Topsoe has signed a grant agreement with EU’s Innovation Fund for a total of €94 million. The grant is seen as recognition of Topsoe’s state-of-the art SOEC electrolysis technology and the innovation inherent in building this first of its kind SOEC factory.
The SOE cells are essential in the production of green hydrogen and its derivatives and electrolysers are a key technology for decarbonising energy-intensive industries like steel, mining, and long-distance transportation that account for approximately 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions and cannot easily be electrified. In Europe, the EU Commission has announced a proposal to deploy 40 GW of hydrogen electrolyser installations and 10 million tonnes of green hydrogen production.
It is estimated that when used to produce green hydrogen, electrolysers from the newfactory 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 new factory, which will occupy 23 000 square m, will employ 200 people once fully operational and is anticipated to create numerous indirect job opportunities.
