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Water electrolysis: Power to gas...

Water electrolysis: Power to gas

New, cost-efficient plant type

Energy storage systems already play an important role in balancing supply and demand for electricity. According to a study by the Boston Consulting Group, global demand is set to rise to around 330 gigawatts by 2030. Around the world, around 100 gigawatts of capacity is currently available in pumped storage power plants and around one gigawatt in compressed air energy storage systems.

In the water electrolysis process, electricity is passed through water and breaks it down into oxygen and hydrogen. Excess electricity can be used for this and converted into a different energy source – hydrogen. This is useful when additional energy is needed. Then, the hydrogen can be turned into electricity again.

The technology is well-known but we aim to make it more cost-effective. The chances are good that our process will reduce the capital costs of water electrolysis plants by a factor of 3.5 to 5. We are also targeting efficiency of up to 80 percent.

We are reducing costs and increasing efficiency

In this we benefit from our experience with chlor-alkali electrolysis, a technology similar to water electrolysis for which we have already sold more than 100,000 elements.

An initial lab-scale plant has already been built. The next planned step in the development process is a pilot plant.

Successes:

Up to 80 percent efficiency
Investment costs 3.5 times lower