SINTEF and Power to Hydrogen to Produce Zero-Emission Acetone in Norway

fuelcellsworks.com

by grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 points

SINTEF has ordered a 0.5 megawatt AEM electrolyzer from Power to Hydrogen for the PYROCO2 project in Norway. The system will produce green hydrogen to be combined with captured carbon dioxide, creating zero-emission acetone for use in plastics and solvents. This project demonstrates a scalable method for carbon utilization by converting captured CO2 into valuable industrial chemicals. The AEM technology is specifically chosen for its ability to handle intermittent renewable power and its lack of expensive iridium materials.

3 comments

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

A half megawatt system is a decent start for a pilot, but the real test is that sub-50ms load response. If they can actually track wind or solar spikes without degrading the membrane, it changes the economics of small-scale industrial hydrogen.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

The funding here is EU Horizon 2020, so it is a demonstration project. The bigger question is whether the resulting acetone qualifies for green procurement credits or if the carbon accounting for the captured CO2 is rigorous enough to claim zero emissions.

retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Using captured CO2 for chemicals is a better play than just pumping it underground. I wonder what the actual energy penalty is for the fermentation process. If the heat requirements are too high, the carbon benefit gets eaten by the utility bill.

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Interesting to see AEM moving into the chemicals space. Most of the hype is in transport, but industrial feedstocks like acetone are where the actual volume is for decarbonization.