Page 152 - CW E-Magazine (10-6-2025)

News from Abroad

HIGH-TEMPERATURE ELECTROLYSIS

Thyssenkrupp Nucera and Fraunhofer IKTS open

pilot plant to produce solid oxide electrolyser cells

Thyssenkrupp Nucera, the German The SOEC cell design is also well
chlor-alkali and hydrogen technology suited for highly automated series
specialist, and Fraunhofer IKTS have production.
opened the first Solid Oxide Electro-
lyser Cell (SOEC) pilot production SOEC electrolysis ensures high
plant for electrolysis stacks in Arnstadt, efficiency because less electrical
Thuringia, Germany. energy is required to split water vapor
at high temperatures. When commer-
In March 2024, the German re- cial high-temperature electrolysis is
search institute and Thyssenkrupp used in processes that generate large
Nucera, signed an agreement for the a target production capacity of 8-MW amounts of waste heat, such as in the
development of the next-generation per year. steel industry, electricity consumption
SOEC electrolyser. Building on the can be reduced by 20-30% compared
development work carried out by Fraun- SOEC stack technology is based on to other technologies. In addition,
hofer IKTS, Thyssenkrupp Nucera will an oxygen-conducting ceramic elec- SOEC technology offers the major
now work with Fraunhofer IKTS to trolyte substrate with two electrodes, advantage of utilising industrial CO 2
advance SOEC technology for the which are assembled together with as a raw material and converting it
manufacture of stacks for the produc- coupling elements, the chromium-iron into green synthesis gas together with
tion of green hydrogen on an industrial (CF) interconnectors, on several layers green hydrogen. This, in turn, can be
scale. With high-temperature electrolysis, to form the stack. CF-based SOEC used to produce sustainable chemical
Thyssenkrupp Nucera is strengthening technology guarantees high corrosion feedstocks and e-fuels.
its hydrogen technology portfolio for resistance, optimised thermal cycle
industrial applications. performance, and high long-term The operation of the pilot produc-
stability with regard to temperature tion plant will generate the necessary
The electrolysis stacks will be manu- cycling. In addition, stack techno- experience that will be incorporated
factured in the pilot production plant logy requires only a small number of into the construction of a fully auto-
designed and built by Fraunhofer IKTS. components and occupies a leading mated, large-scale industrial SOEC
The SOEC pilot plant will initially pro- position compared to designs currently production plant for high-performance
duce stacks in small quantities and has available on the global market. stacks.

Syensqo boosts polymer compounding capacity

at China plant

Belgian chemicals firm, Syensqo, “The expanded capacity, now fully
has announced the completion of a operational, is split across multi-
compounding capacity expansion at its ple production lines from customised
Changshu (China) plant. The expan- small-batch production to standardised
sion includes compounding lines for large-scale manufacturing,” the company
products such as Amodel PPA, Ryton informed.
PPS, Kalix HPPA, Omnix HPPA, and
Ixef PARA, which are widely used in Since its inception 17 years ago,
the e-mobility, semiconductors, smart the Changshu plant has undergone four
devices, and healthcare markets. major expansions.

152 Chemical Weekly June 10, 2025

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