Sunfire Installs High-Temperature Electrolysis System in Rotterdam Refinery

Sunfire has successfully installed one of the world’s largest high-temperature electrolysis systems for the production of green hydrogen at Neste’s renewable products refinery in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

The electrolysis system, based on Sunfire’s solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) technology, operates at temperatures of 850°C, utilizing industrial excess heat and processing steam to hydrogen with the highest conversion efficiency. Compared to other electrolysis solutions, Sunfire’s SOEC technology is considered the most efficient on the market, significantly reducing the amount of electricity required.

Over the past few months, Sunfire has installed 12 electrolysis modules at the refinery, which together make up the world’s largest high-temperature electrolysis system, with a total capacity of 2.6 MW. Having met the refinery’s highest quality requirements, Sunfire has achieved mechanical completion of the electrolysis system, and the MultiPLHY hydrogen project is now entering its commissioning phase.

Once operational, the Sunfire electrolyser will produce more than 60 kg/hr of green hydrogen, which will be integrated into Neste’s refinery processes and become part of the onsite production of renewable products. The MultiPLHY consortium, which includes Neste, the French research centre CEA, SMS Group company Paul Wurth, and ENGIE, funded the project by the EU Clean Hydrogen Partnership.

“We are proud to soon demonstrate our multi-megawatt electrolyser in an industrial refinery environment. Groundbreaking hydrogen projects like MultiPLHY are laying the foundation to secure Europe’s position as a global leader in clean technologies,” says Nils Aldag, CEO of Sunfire.

The successful installation of this high-temperature electrolysis system is a significant step towards achieving Europe’s goals to increase the production of green hydrogen and reduce carbon emissions. The project is also a testament to the potential of solid oxide electrolysis cell technology to provide efficient and reliable hydrogen production at scale.