(Stuttgart / Filderstadt) – The Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and Ecoclean GmbH want to jointly set up series production for “an internationally competitive electrolysis system”. The “EcoLyzer BW” project is scheduled to start in January.
Basis: alkaline water electrolysis
According to the information, the basis is an alkaline pressure electrolysis developed by ZSW over the past ten years with an output of one megawatt. When fully expanded, the electrolyzer, which can be equipped with two blocks of 0,5 megawatts each, delivers around 70 kilograms of hydrogen per hour (at a pressure level of 20 bar) with an efficiency of around 16 percent. This is roughly the tank filling of four fuel cell cars or the demand of one fuel cell bus per hour. With an annual running time of 5.000 hours, 90 tons of hydrogen could be produced; with an annual running time of 8.000 hours around 144 tons. The ZSW estimates the price for a one-megawatt complete system to be between 1,0 and 1,5 million euros.
Alkaline electrolysis is “a well-tested and robust technology,” says Marc-Simon Löffler, head of the ZSW Department of Renewable Energy Sources and Processes. “It can also be scaled to large performance classes.” In particular, unlike PEM electrolysis or high-temperature electrolysis, alkaline electrolysis “does not require the use of resource-critical precious metals and rare earths.” This means that “on the one hand it is cheaper, but on the other hand no shortages of raw materials are to be expected when the market ramps up,” according to a statement.
Designed to run on renewable energy
The ZSW technology is also designed for dynamic operation with renewable, fluctuating electricity and has been tested in practice since 2019. Filderstadt-based Ecoclean GmbH, active in the area of system technology for applications in industrial cleaning technology and surface treatment, intends to “develop and produce a competitive electrolysis system technology in Baden-Württemberg for worldwide marketing,” says Ecoclean managing director Michael Förster. Around 80 systems are to be manufactured per year at the Dettingen site, with production starting in 2023. The company expects to create 200 jobs at Ecoclean and the component suppliers.
Scaling up to ten megawatts
Manfred Hermanns, Director of Sales & Customer Service at Ecoclean, wants to achieve “maximum economies of scale with as few design adjustments as possible” in production. “We are assuming performance classes of one to ten megawatts.” The systems would have to be designed in such a way that both a container solution and installation within a building are possible.
In principle, hydrogen can be produced anywhere with such a system. However, due to low electricity costs, countries with good solar and wind conditions such as southern Europe, North Africa, South America or Australia are predestined.
The “EcoLyzer BW” joint project runs until March 2024 and receives funding of around 2,1 million euros from the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of the Environment as part of the Hydrogen BW future program.
Photos
ZSW headquarters in Stuttgart. © ZSW
