(Dresden) – Sunfire GmbH has received a grant of 162 million euros from Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck. The company wants to set up the industrial production of electrolysers in Dresden as part of the project called “Sunfire 1500+”. According to the information, this includes both alkaline (AEL) and high temperature (SOEC) technology.
Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (right), Saxony's Economics Minister Martin Dulig (left) and Sunfire managing director Nils Aldag at the handover of the IPCEI funding decision. © Sunfire GmbH
The project was selected as part of the expression of interest process for the IPCEI Hydrogen in May 2021. As is usual with “Important Projects of Common European Interest”, the federal government covers 70 percent and the federal state 30 percent of the funding amount, in this case the Free State of Saxony. In addition to the plant in Dresden, Sunfire will also set up a production landscape for alkaline electrolyzers in North Rhine-Westphalia, which will be funded with a further seven million euros from the federal government (70 percent) and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (30 percent).
Blueprint for electrolyzer series production
The high-temperature technology factory has an annual production capacity of 500 megawatts, while the alkaline technology production facility is designed for one gigawatt. The factories are also intended to serve as a blueprint for future European series production of innovative electrolyzers.
“Thanks to the donation, we can do this faster and much more extensively than we would be able to with our own resources,” explains Sunfire managing director Nils Aldag. IPCEI is the “catalyst on the way to gigawatt production”. In the summer of 2022, the BMWK granted Sunfire the early start of the measures.
According to the Federal Ministry of Economics (BMWK), Sunfire wants to invest over 255 million euros at its Dresden headquarters. According to the company, there will also be further investments in North Rhine-Westphalia, bringing the total investments to around 400 million euros.
Order for 100 MW pressure alkaline electrolysers
Just in April, Sunfire delivered eight modules of a pressure alkaline electrolyzer with a cumulative output of ten megawatts to Lingen in Lower Saxony. The Essen-based RWE AG wants to have one there Pilot plant produce green hydrogen.
Graphical representation of ten modules of the pressure alkaline technology that Sunfire is to deliver to an undisclosed client. © Sunfire GmbH
A few days ago, Sunfire announced the signing of a contract to supply ten modules with an output of ten megawatts each using pressure alkaline technology. The client was not named. It was simply said that they were working “for the first time with a leading European refinery on a large-scale commercial project”. The company will also be responsible for installing and commissioning the system.
In the next step, according to the Dresden-based company, “the industrial production of high-temperature electrolysers will pick up speed,” which achieve particularly high levels of efficiency. Other customers include Uniper, project developers such as P2X Solutions from Finland and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners.
Hydrogen strategy calls for 10 GW by 2030
The update of the National Hydrogen Strategy decided by the Federal Cabinet at the end of July (NWS) envisages an electrolysis capacity of at least ten gigawatts for the priority production of green hydrogen in 2030. Imports cover further demand. At the same time, Germany should become the leading provider of hydrogen technologies.
“In the coming years, we want to build an efficient hydrogen infrastructure,” said Economics Minister Robert Habeck. “In order to achieve the ambitious goals of the National Hydrogen Strategy, we need industrial and automated production capacities for electrolyzers.”
Photos
Scalable alkaline electrolyzers. © Sunfire GmbH
