Periodic Reporting for period 3 - SWITCH (SMART WAYS FOR IN-SITU TOTALLY INTEGRATED AND CONTINUOUS MULTISOURCE GENERATION OF HYDROGEN)
Berichtszeitraum: 2023-01-01 bis 2024-03-31
Hydrogen generation is looking to support the growth of clean and low carbon energy systems and their spread to have a fully decarbonized society.
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) present an efficient, environmentally friendly alternative to converting variable electricity from renewables in green hydrogen. They can also work in reverse, providing power as a hydrogen fuel cell.
The intermittency of renewable energy is accommodated by being able to rapidly switch from the electrolysis operation mode to the fuel cell mode of operating the system.
The SWITCH project aimed at demonstrating the core building block module for an efficient technology solution supporting a reliable way to a zero-carbon hydrogen fed by renewables complemented by a secured continuous supply and production of hydrogen and power by an integrated low carbon back-up.
SWITCH designed, built and tested an in-situ fully integrated and continuous multi-source hydrogen production system, based on solid oxide cell technology, that will provide green and secured production of hydrogen, heat and power.
The ambition is to target multiple use cases by considering different demand profiles for supplying “mostly green, always secured” hydrogen and power. The system prototype has been tested and demonstrated in real operating environment.
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) present an efficient, environmentally friendly alternative to converting variable electricity from renewables in green hydrogen. They can also work in reverse, providing power as a hydrogen fuel cell.
The intermittency of renewable energy is accommodated by being able to rapidly switch from the electrolysis operation mode to the fuel cell mode of operating the system.
The SWITCH project aimed at demonstrating the core building block module for an efficient technology solution supporting a reliable way to a zero-carbon hydrogen fed by renewables complemented by a secured continuous supply and production of hydrogen and power by an integrated low carbon back-up.
SWITCH designed, built and tested an in-situ fully integrated and continuous multi-source hydrogen production system, based on solid oxide cell technology, that will provide green and secured production of hydrogen, heat and power.
The ambition is to target multiple use cases by considering different demand profiles for supplying “mostly green, always secured” hydrogen and power. The system prototype has been tested and demonstrated in real operating environment.
During the last reporting period, several activities have been implemented and results achieved.
EPFL has performed the life cycle assessment and life cycle cost on SWITCH system (SOE).
• LCA study was completed and provides a comprehensive understanding of the environmental trade-offs, identifying hotspots where emissions can be minimized, and resources optimized, by introducing the stack manufacturing process environmental analysis.
• The results show that SWITCH system has lower climate change impacts compared to other electrolyzer technologies, and that the capital expenditure (CAPEX) for the SWITCH hydrogen pilot plant is significant, given the project's scale. Operational expenses (OPEX) increase due to maintenance and energy consumption.
• The TEA analysis identifies that extending the stack lifetime and integrating renewable energy sources could reduce production costs. Sensitivity analysis identifies the variables most impacting the project's profitability, such as energy prices, stack lifetime, plant size, and market prices. For example, integrating photovoltaic (PV) panels and increase plant size can reduce overall costs per kilogram to 5 Euro/kg.
With regards to the activities related to design and construction of components:
• Cold BoP and purification section have been designed and built.
• The hot BoP Gamma was finalized, successfully integrating the SOE operating mode and successfully tested.
• The control system has been developed, the significative work of PLC/SPLC assembling and programming allowed to reach good results during the test campaigns in term of controllability and stability.
With regards to the activities related to LSM Design and Testing:
• A segmented cell-test characterization was performed by EPFL gaining insights to local thermal and electrochemical behaviour.
• A 1000 h durability test with daily switches between SOFC and SOE mode was performed. No severe damage was found in the post-test analysis, demonstrating that the switching-procedure used is safe and reliable.
• The thermal behaviour of a 70 cell-stack and the thermal control of it was successfully investigated by FBK, mapping the performance, and investigating on possible switching control strategies.
• A large stack module with 25 kWFC and about 77 kWEC was tested at DLR, successfully demonstrating the operation range and production capacity needed within this project.
• A transient model of the LSM was developed and validated by DLR for further investigations
With regards to the system construction and testing activities:
• The prototype has been tested for more than 1000 hours, the main operating modes (SOE and SOFCS modes) were tested.
• The testing results have shown, overall, good performance: a prototype efficiency of ca. 50 kWh/ kg H2 has been estimated in SOE mode
Communication, dissemination and exploitation activities were also implemented to valorise the results of the project:
• New communication materials were designed: the factsheets, final brochure and final video. They are available on SWITCH website
• In 2023, SWITCH received the Energy Globe Award and Elena Crespi (research involved in the SWITCH project) won the Young Scientist Award 2023. This resulted in numerous magazine and newspaper articles and high visibility.
• Final event was organised online, press releases was published.
• Internal exploitation workshops were organised to draw the exploitation pathways of SWITCH results.
Management activities continued throughout the whole reporting period.
EPFL has performed the life cycle assessment and life cycle cost on SWITCH system (SOE).
• LCA study was completed and provides a comprehensive understanding of the environmental trade-offs, identifying hotspots where emissions can be minimized, and resources optimized, by introducing the stack manufacturing process environmental analysis.
• The results show that SWITCH system has lower climate change impacts compared to other electrolyzer technologies, and that the capital expenditure (CAPEX) for the SWITCH hydrogen pilot plant is significant, given the project's scale. Operational expenses (OPEX) increase due to maintenance and energy consumption.
• The TEA analysis identifies that extending the stack lifetime and integrating renewable energy sources could reduce production costs. Sensitivity analysis identifies the variables most impacting the project's profitability, such as energy prices, stack lifetime, plant size, and market prices. For example, integrating photovoltaic (PV) panels and increase plant size can reduce overall costs per kilogram to 5 Euro/kg.
With regards to the activities related to design and construction of components:
• Cold BoP and purification section have been designed and built.
• The hot BoP Gamma was finalized, successfully integrating the SOE operating mode and successfully tested.
• The control system has been developed, the significative work of PLC/SPLC assembling and programming allowed to reach good results during the test campaigns in term of controllability and stability.
With regards to the activities related to LSM Design and Testing:
• A segmented cell-test characterization was performed by EPFL gaining insights to local thermal and electrochemical behaviour.
• A 1000 h durability test with daily switches between SOFC and SOE mode was performed. No severe damage was found in the post-test analysis, demonstrating that the switching-procedure used is safe and reliable.
• The thermal behaviour of a 70 cell-stack and the thermal control of it was successfully investigated by FBK, mapping the performance, and investigating on possible switching control strategies.
• A large stack module with 25 kWFC and about 77 kWEC was tested at DLR, successfully demonstrating the operation range and production capacity needed within this project.
• A transient model of the LSM was developed and validated by DLR for further investigations
With regards to the system construction and testing activities:
• The prototype has been tested for more than 1000 hours, the main operating modes (SOE and SOFCS modes) were tested.
• The testing results have shown, overall, good performance: a prototype efficiency of ca. 50 kWh/ kg H2 has been estimated in SOE mode
Communication, dissemination and exploitation activities were also implemented to valorise the results of the project:
• New communication materials were designed: the factsheets, final brochure and final video. They are available on SWITCH website
• In 2023, SWITCH received the Energy Globe Award and Elena Crespi (research involved in the SWITCH project) won the Young Scientist Award 2023. This resulted in numerous magazine and newspaper articles and high visibility.
• Final event was organised online, press releases was published.
• Internal exploitation workshops were organised to draw the exploitation pathways of SWITCH results.
Management activities continued throughout the whole reporting period.
The SWITCH project aims to demonstrate the core building block for a efficient path towards reliable zero-carbon hydrogen with secured continuous supply and production by an integrated low carbon back-up. Offering both economic and continuous hydrogen, it opens the door for the clean energy transition to medium and small-scale industries whose productivity and competitivity depends on permanent availability of hydrogen for their processes. The projects leverages the substantial progress achieved within the CH2P project to target the following techno-economic and socio-environmental impacts:
TECHNO-ECONOMIC IMPACT
• Demonstration of secure year-round green or low carbon H2 availability of over 90% for hydrogen dependent processes, also during dark doldrums;
• Year round hydrogen availability and polygeneration assuring maximum annual capacity utilization reducing thereby the specific CAPEX (i.e. CAPEX per kg of H2 or kWh electricity) is reduced to <5,000 €/(kg H2/day) at an annual system manufacturing volume corresponding to 40,000 kg/day;
• Replacement of carbon intensive steam reformers and hydrogen-logistics with reduction of >60% in CO2 emission per kg of produced hydrogen;
• Cost effectiveness with targets of 2.83€/kg/kg H2 (@40 €/MWhel) and 4.32€/kg (@80€/MWhel) with an assumed methane cost of 3.5 cts/kWh. The cost model indicates that operation in electrolysis mode is economically more favourable with an electricity cost of ≤ 50€/MWhel at the assumed gas cost;
• Offer lower cost and low carbon foot print system for distributed supply of hydrogen accelerating the rollout of hydrogen infrastructure in transport;
• Removal of the need for expensive back-up systems for hydrogen supply for the generation of hydrogen from renewable sources, allowing the highly flexible system to couple the different sectors of electricity, industry, mobility and heat;
• Providing additional volumes of stack manufacturing in this application and supporting the volume-driven cost reduction path in further fields of application such as SOE and cogeneration;
• Accessing the markets for several transport and industrial applications catching up emerging opportunities especially in the mobility sector;
• Offering the opportunity for new operational and business models, showing profitability.
SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
• Job creation by contributing to build a new market for efficient and modular hydrogen production systems based on SOC;
• Industrial greening by reaching end-users in industrial sectors that demand a deep decarbonisation.
TECHNO-ECONOMIC IMPACT
• Demonstration of secure year-round green or low carbon H2 availability of over 90% for hydrogen dependent processes, also during dark doldrums;
• Year round hydrogen availability and polygeneration assuring maximum annual capacity utilization reducing thereby the specific CAPEX (i.e. CAPEX per kg of H2 or kWh electricity) is reduced to <5,000 €/(kg H2/day) at an annual system manufacturing volume corresponding to 40,000 kg/day;
• Replacement of carbon intensive steam reformers and hydrogen-logistics with reduction of >60% in CO2 emission per kg of produced hydrogen;
• Cost effectiveness with targets of 2.83€/kg/kg H2 (@40 €/MWhel) and 4.32€/kg (@80€/MWhel) with an assumed methane cost of 3.5 cts/kWh. The cost model indicates that operation in electrolysis mode is economically more favourable with an electricity cost of ≤ 50€/MWhel at the assumed gas cost;
• Offer lower cost and low carbon foot print system for distributed supply of hydrogen accelerating the rollout of hydrogen infrastructure in transport;
• Removal of the need for expensive back-up systems for hydrogen supply for the generation of hydrogen from renewable sources, allowing the highly flexible system to couple the different sectors of electricity, industry, mobility and heat;
• Providing additional volumes of stack manufacturing in this application and supporting the volume-driven cost reduction path in further fields of application such as SOE and cogeneration;
• Accessing the markets for several transport and industrial applications catching up emerging opportunities especially in the mobility sector;
• Offering the opportunity for new operational and business models, showing profitability.
SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
• Job creation by contributing to build a new market for efficient and modular hydrogen production systems based on SOC;
• Industrial greening by reaching end-users in industrial sectors that demand a deep decarbonisation.