Innovation Fund Denmark invests €2.4M
In the ROAD2X – Robust & Dynamic Electrolysis – research project, five partners will mature a new, innovative method for operating high-temperature electrolysis, so that the lifetime of the electrolysis plants can potentially be increased five-fold, reaching over 10 years.
Power2X is a term for the use of sustainable electricity from solar cells and wind turbines for the production of synthetic fuels. Power2X is therefore expected to be central in the coming years’ transition to a more sustainable energy system. One of the promising options in connection with Power2X is high-temperature electrolysis. Innovation Fund Denmark has invested €2.4M (DKK 18 million) to fund the €3.2 M (DKK 24 million) project.
High-temperature electrolysis plants have, so far, suffered from a limited lifespan, and the electrolysis stacks rarely last longer than 2 years. The degradation is due to, among other things, impurities that “poison” the units over time, as well as temperature fluctuations in the units during operation.
The partners in ROAD2X will jointly mature a new method for operating the electrolysis units which aims to extend the lifetime by a factor of five. The method is called AC:DC operation, and can meet the mentioned challenges with impurities and temperature fluctuations. Dynelectro has patented the method for AC:DC operation. Founder, Søren Højgaard Jensen, says about the project: “The ROAD2X project is of great importance for making AC:DC operation and high-temperature electrolysis ready for commercialisation. When the project is completed, it will open up new opportunities to electrolyse CO2 which can then be used to make e-fuels, for example, green methanol.”
The project partners include the Finnish-Estonian electrolysis company Elcogen. Aalborg University and the Technical University of Denmark are contributing as partners with advanced testing capabilities to the project, while European Energy is responsible for an analysis of the business potential of the use of high-temperature electrolysis for the production of green methanol.
Facts
- Innovation Fund Denmark’s investment: €2.4M (18 million DKK)
- Total budget: €2.4M (24 million DKK)
- Duration: 3 years
- Official title: ROAD2X – Robust And Dynamic Electrolysis for Power-to-X
- Partners:
