Hydrogen PROduction by MEans of solar heat and power in high TEmperature Solid Oxide Electrolysers
PROMETEO aims to produce green hydrogen using renewable heat and electricity through high-temperature electrolysis in areas with low electricity prices associated with photovoltaic or wind energy generation.
Solid Oxide Electrolysers (SOEs) are a highly efficient technology that uses heat and electricity to split water and produce hydrogen, and have generally been validated under steady-state operating conditions. However, the heat required for steam generation may not be available for SOE operation when electricity generation prices are low (for example, outside peak periods of photovoltaic or wind energy contribution to the grid). Therefore, the challenge is to optimise the coupling of SOEs with two intermittent sources: non-dispatchable renewable electricity and solar heat from Concentrated Solar (CS) systems with Thermal Energy Storage (TES), in order to provide thermal energy when electricity is available.
PROMETEO will develop a fully integrated and optimised system in which the SOE, combined with TES and other auxiliary components, will efficiently convert intermittent heat and energy sources into hydrogen. The design will address different criteria, including end-user requirements, sustainability aspects, regulatory and safety considerations, as well as sizing and engineering challenges.
Value chain stakeholders will play a key role within the consortium, ranging from developers and research centres to the electrolyser supplier, the system integrator and end users.
A modular prototype equipped with an SOE of at least 25 kWe (approximately 15 kg/day of hydrogen production) and a TES system (for 24-hour operation) will be designed, built and supplied with electricity and heat under conditions representative of a real-world environment (TRL 5). Particular attention will be paid to part-load operation, transient behaviour and hot standby periods.
Industrial end users will carry out techno-economic and sustainability studies considering commercial-scale technology (up to 100 MW) under grid-connected and off-grid scenarios, and for different end-use applications such as grid stabilisation, power-to-gas and hydrogen as a feedstock for the chemical and fertiliser industries.
