Topsoe, which provides decarbonisation solutions, has signed on AVEVA as its digitalisation partner
AVEVA’s software will help Topsoe fast-track development of the decarbonisation solutions needed for the production of green hydrogen and other carbon neutral fuels. Topsoe will use the AVEVA Process Simulation to model its Solid Oxide Electrolyser Cells (SOECs) with a view to optimising their design and developing their control strategy.
Not all industries can be easily electrified, and are often referred to as the hard-to-abate sectors. These include heavy transportation such as shipping, aviation and carbon intensive industries like steel manufacturing and petrochemical production.
Finding carbon-free alternatives for fossil fuel is the main challenge for these sectors. Topsoe’s SOECs can help with this issue, where it is possible to produce the green hydrogen needed to decarbonise many of these carbon intensive industries. Here, the AVEVA Process Simulation enables Topsoe’s engineers to design and optimise their electrolysers with increased efficiency.
Moreover, global electrolyzer manufacturing capacity in 2021 was insufficient to meet net zero requirements, according to the International Energy Agency. At present, alkaline and proton exchange membrane electrolysers account for the majority of production, with less than 0.1% of hydrogen produced through electrolysis.
As renewable energy becomes increasingly available at lower costs, Topsoe can help maximise the delivery of clean hydrogen. Its units deliver up to 30% more hydrogen from the same electricity volume at a 30% lower cost.
Tobias Scheele, senior vice president of products at AVEVA, said, “We are pleased to expand our deep relationship with Topsoe as the Power-to-X industry develops. The successful energy transition will depend on how quickly industries can deliver low-carbon solutions at scale. We designed AVEVA Process Simulation to accelerate the engineering cycle, so innovations can be executed fast and deliver immediate carbon reductions."
Poul Georg Moses, chief technology officer in Power-to-X at Topsoe, said, "Green hydrogen is essential for decarbonising industries that cannot be easily electrified, and there is no time to waste if we’re to succeed in achieving global net zero targets. Topsoe is already leading the way by building the world’s largest SOEC electrolyser manufacturing facility, enabling us to deliver green hydrogen technologies Power-to-X solutions at industrial scale. The AVEVA Process Simulation software is a game changer for us, with its dynamic simulations we’re removing bottlenecks and speeding up the development of our solutions.”
