Topsoe celebrates milestone in construction of world’s first industrial scale SOEC electrolyzer facility

• Topsoe is constructing the first industrial scale SOEC facility to manufacture electrolyzers to produce green hydrogen. Green hydrogen is the important building block to get clean fuels and chemicals to fuel a sustainable future
• With the new factory, Topsoe is making the case for SOEC technology at industrial scale. The factory will have an initial 500MW manufacturing capacity
• Topsoe’s SOEC technology is up to 35 percent more efficient than conventional technologies, enabling a more efficient green hydrogen production to help meet global decarbonization targets
• The construction of the manufacturing factory is well underway with the main building already in place.

Topsoe, a global leader in carbon emission reduction technologies, is dedicated to delivering the solutions needed to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors such as aviation, shipping, long-haul transportation as well as heavy industry, responsible for around 30 percent of global emissions.

To reach net zero on a global scale in 2050 an estimated 3670-gigawatts of installed electrolysis capacity is required by 2050. A prerequisite for having enough installed electrolyzer capacity, that enables industry producing green hydrogen, is to build up manufacturing capacity at speed. And that is exactly what Topsoe is doing.

Roeland Baan, CEO at Topsoe, said:

“The case for using electrolysis technology to produce green fuels is well established, but actual manufacturing capacity is needed at speed. We are facing this challenge head on. Our climate is in crisis and in need of resolute and massive solutions to cut emissions and turn the tables on climate change, ensuring a better world for generations to come. In combination with foresightful partners and customers and strong public-private sector collaboration, we’ll be able to make a substantial contribution to the energy transition, help secure energy independence, and fuel the green economy in Europe and globally.”

Kim Hedegaard, CEO Power-to-X at Topsoe, said:

“Our factory will take high-temperature electrolysis from the laboratory environment to industrial scale and provide the first industrial use case. Our SOEC technology helps to answer the question of how to turn on the power when the winds aren’t blowing, and the sun isn’t shining, as green hydrogen and its derivatives can be stored and ready to use when we have a deficit in renewables. It also bridges the gap between renewable energy and the hard-to-abate sectors, that we in Topsoe are determined to decarbonize.”

Present at the celebration was, among others, Denmark’s Minister for Climate, Energy, and Utilities, Lars Aagaard, Mayor at Herning Kommune, Dorte West, and CEO at First Ammonia, Joel Moser. Director-General Energy at the EU Commission, Ditte Juul-Jørgensen gave a video-recorded keynote.

Facts about the SOEC factory

• Location: Herning, Denmark
• Size: 23,000 square meters
• Number of employees: 150 ones the factory is operational
• Annual capacity: 500 MW – equaling production of 125,000 tonnes of hydrogen – with an option to expand further.
• World’s first industrial scale SOEC electrolyzer manufacturing facility
• Operational: Expectedly by 2025.
• First Ammonia will be the first customer to start leveraging Topsoe’s SOEC electrolyzers.

From left: Roeland Baan, CEO, Topsoe, Jakob Topsøe, Chairman, Topsoe Holding, Lars Aagaard, Danish Minister for Climate, Energy, and Utilities, Dorte West, Mayor, Herning Kommune, Joel Moser, CEO, First Ammonia, and Kim Hedegaard, CEO Power-to-X, Topsoe, reveling the stone in front of the factory imprinted with a quote from 1988 by Topsoe-founder Haldor Topsoe:”I wish one would realize that the greenhouse effect, within decades, will reach a point of no return.”

About Topsoe 
Founded in 1940, Topsoe is a leading global developer and supplier of decarbonization technology, catalysts, and services for the energy transition. 

Our mission is to combat climate change by helping our partners and customers achieve their decarbonization and emission-reduction targets, including those in hard-to-abate sectors such as aviation, shipping, and the production of raw materials. From carbon reduction chemicals to renewable fuels and plastic upcycling, we are uniquely positioned to aid humanity in realizing a sustainable future. 

Topsoe is headquartered in Denmark, with over 2,400 employees serving customers all around the globe. To learn more, visit www.topsoe.com 

For more information, please contact: 
Ulrik Frøhlke, Media Relations Manager, Topsoe 
Phone: +45 27 77 99 68 
Mail: ulfr@topsoe.com