bio-SNG Production Research Articles

An econometric analysis of the sawmill by-product market to explore bioeconomy options in Austria

Bioeconomy strategies promote higher shares of biomass products in material and energy sectors. Deploying by-products from sawmills is therefore of major interest. This study aims at analyzing market characteristics and implications of bioeconomy strategies by combining three methods: First, an econometric supply and demand model for sawmill by-products (SBP) was estimated based on data from 2001 to 2020. Second, the model was used to analyze a reference and a bioeconomy scenario. Third, a use case was analyzed dealing with the integration of wood gasification and BioSNG (Synthetic Natural Gas) production into Austrian flows of SBP. The results indicate that SBP supply reacts unit-elastic to sawnwood exports, while both supply and demand respond inelastic to SBP prices. Demand is positively inelastic related to SBP as input in panel and pellet production. In a bioeconomy scenario, long-term supply would exceed demand, resulting in additional SBP to be used for gasification. A 100 MW BioSNG plant converting these SBP could provide 528 MWh BioSNG per year. This is a 11 % share of the Austrian target value of 5 TWh green gas.

Decisive role of Cu/Co interfaces in copper cobaltite derivatives for high performance CO2 methanation catalyst

Thermo-catalytic bio-SNG (CH4) production is one of the useful tools for converting waste to gaseous fuels through CO2 conversion. To abundant properly, however, efficient, robust and cost-effective catalysts would be required. Bimetallic systems based on transition metals seem to be promising candidates for this task. The CoCu bimetallic system with in-situ generated interfaces was synthesized and used as a catalyst for CO2 methanation. The in-depth analysis of the structure-activity-selectivity relationships involving XRD, (NAP-)XPS, EXAFS and TEM-EDX revealed that the co-existence of Co0, CoO, and Cu0 in the proper distribution on the surface can ensure the selective production of methane. To fine-tune the surface composition of the bimetallic systems, a systematic alteration of the Cu:Co ratio in the precursor spinel structures must be performed. Cu0.4Co2.6O4 derivative, stabilizing subsurface Cu(I)–O specimen, showed the best performance with high activity (12,800 nmol g–1 s–1) and a remarkable selectivity of 65–85% for methane in a wide temperature range (250–425 °C). In studying the mechanistic aspects of methanation, it has been shown that the hydrogenation of active carbon at the surface or below the surface is the key step for the production of methane. So far, this cobalt-catalyzed sub-step has been proposed in catalytic Fischer-Tropsch syntheses.

Methodology for the Development of Virtual Representations within the Process Development Framework of Energy Plants: From Digital Model to Digital Predictive Twin—A Review

Digital reflections of physical energy plants can help support and optimize energy technologies within their lifecycle. So far, no framework for the evolution of virtual representations throughout the process development lifecycle exists. Based on various concepts of virtual representations in different industries, this review paper focuses on developing a novel virtual representation framework for the process development environment within the energy sector. The proposed methodology enables the continuous evolution of virtual representations along the process development lifecycle. A novel definition for virtual representations in the process development environment is developed. Additionally, the most important virtual representation challenges, properties, and applications for developing a widely applicable framework are summarized. The essential sustainability indicators for the energy sector are listed to standardize the process evaluation throughout the process development lifecycle. The virtual representation and physical facility development can be synchronized by introducing a novel model readiness level. All these thoughts are covered through the novel virtual representation framework. Finally, the digital twin of a Bio-SNG production route is presented, to show the benefits of the methodology through a use case. This methodology helps to accelerate and monitor energy technology developments through the early implementation of virtual representations.

Market Opportunities in Portugal for the Water-and-Waste Sector Using Sludge Gasification

The water-and-waste sector has shown a marked interest in innovative management practices for dewatered sludge. The need to manage increased sludge volumes at rising disposal costs, coupled with the recognition of the potential for on-site energy production, have been the key drivers for this recent appeal. With the current political view supporting the development of a renewable-gas industry in Portugal, renewable gases are considered an attractive solution for dewatered-sludge valorization. Moreover, investment in renewable-gas supply chains would help the industry to mature to a level at which the technology and market are rapidly established. Recognizing this interest, dewatered-sludge gasification was selected as a possible valorization pathway, with the potential for hydrogen and bio-SNG production, as well as decentralized heat and power. This document identifies the market opportunities for the establishment of sewage-sludge gasification in Portugal. The analysis starts with a brief overview of the Portuguese water-and-waste sector, and a description of the current status of the renewable-gas markets. Finally, the dewatered-sludge amounts are quantified, and the potential for energy and renewable-gas production is estimated to support the interest in wastewater management in advanced processes, and to pave the way for future feasibility studies.

Process development and performance assessment of flexible calcium looping biomass gasification for production of renewable gas with adjustable composition

In recent years, the field of biomass gasification as a method of transforming biomass into a more useable gaseous fuel experienced expedited development since it represents a prominent way to achieve sustainability goals and targets set by the Paris accord and, more recently, the European Green Deal. The use of natural gas is projected to reduce with the transition toward exploitation of renewable gas, while a new area of hydrogen applications is also emerging. However, with uncertain production of current processes, and consumption patterns seen on the market, an opportunity for a new flexible process exists. This article investigates a concept process design of sorption-enhanced gasification (SEG) based on calcium looping. Aspen Plus simulation software was used to develop and simulate the process models for flexible production of bio-SNG or bio-H2. The process parameters can be manipulated to either achieve a high-purity bio-H2 (>96 mol%) or high-purity bio-SNG (>95 mol%), as well as any other combination of the two main products. The concept process is based on a low-pressure, low-temperature dual-fluidized bed reactor with steam as a gasifying agent and an additional downstream Sabatier process reactor to achieve high CH4 contents. The simulated process achieves process efficiency of up to 62.2%LHV and 78.0%LHV for H2 and CH4 production, respectively, with production yields reaching 0.112 kg H2/kg BM and 0.23 kg CH4/kg BM. These values were validated and benchmarked against comparable process designs, and the performance of the proposed process was found to be on par or superior. Overall, the proposed process design exhibits clear benefits of calcium looping gasification, with high process efficiency, negligible NOx, SO2, and H2S content, and high flexibility. Therefore, the proposed process addressed and successfully solved some of the key challenges of achieving viability of a gasification plant on a commercial scale.

Integration of anaerobic digestion with thermal gasification and pressurized solid oxide electrolysis cells for high efficiency bio-SNG production

The integration of anaerobic digestion and thermal gasification can ensure a high biomass utilization, as the unconverted biomass from digesters can be converted by thermal gasification. When integrating steam electrolysis or co-electrolysis, all the CO and CO2 in the biogas and gasification gas can be upgraded to synthetic natural gas (SNG), achieving a very high bio-SNG yield per biomass input. In this paper, a highly integrated system combining anaerobic digestion, thermal gasification, and pressurized solid oxide cells for bio-SNG production from manure is presented and analyzed by thermodynamic modeling. The system is compared to a similar system without anaerobic digestion. The analysis finds that the energy yield of bio-SNG can reach 138% in relation to the manure input (LHV-dry), while the yield drops to 107% without anaerobic digestion.The total energy efficiency from manure and electricity to bio-SNG can reach 79% with anaerobic digestion and 64% without it. By combining thermal gasification and anaerobic digestion, it is thereby almost possible to reach the same efficiency as a thermal gasification system operating on wood (up to 84%).

GIS-based techno-economic optimisation of a regional supply chain for large-scale deployment of bio-SNG in a natural gas network

This article presents a novel method for the optimal integration of large-scale bio-SNG (biomass-derived synthetic natural gas) production system into the existing natural gas network. A thermodynamic model representative of a commercial bio-SNG process fed by forestry residues has been built and validated with experimental data. The variation of the capital and operational expenditures as functions of the power output is calculated, identifying the economies of scale of the process. A spatially-explicit model, based on a modified location-allocation algorithm, has been built to find the site and size of the plant(s) that minimise the levelised cost of the energy produced (LCOE). The combined effects of the capital, operational and transport costs resulted in an optimal LCOE of 86.3 €/MWh for a single 71 MWSNG plant. On the other hand, the most profitable configuration has been found for a two-plant configuration, which has a net present value of 165.8 M€ and LCOE of 89.5 €/MWh. The resulting optimal configurations are shown in maps, including the resource harvesting sites and the selected bio-SNG and grid injection points. The mean distance from harvesting sites to the one-plant injection point is approximately 95 km, which means transportation costs, while small are not negligible. A scenario analysis shows the impact of the resource cost and incentives for bio-SNG injection, showing that a low cost of the resource (45 €/tDB) would reduce the one-plant LCOE to 59 €/MWh, which is currently above the cost of natural gas for household consumers, 52 €/MWh.

Experimental analysis and preliminary assessment of an integrated thermochemical process for production of low-molecular weight biofuels from municipal solid waste (MSW)

This work explores the use of advanced thermal technologies for the conversion of refuse derived fuel prepared from MSW into clean syngas suitable for catalytic transformation into light hydrocarbon products. In particular, the possibilities for the specific production of C1–C4 hydrocarbons utilising a good quality syngas produced by two-stage plasma assisted gasification method are investigated. A number of catalytic tests were prepared with modified chemistry to evaluate the preliminary component activities on real waste-derived syngas. C1–C4 paraffins formed in all cases as a main products, with different product distribution for different conditions examined (up to 95% bioSNG on hydrocarbon product for supported nickel, 40% bioLPG for Cu–Zn/ZSM-5 catalysts mix). CO2 was the main byproduct with outlet concentrations ranging from 10 to 50% in volume. When increasing H2:CO in the syngas by external addition of hydrogen, CO conversion increases, as well as paraffin selectivity and hydrocarbons yield. Projections on a 65 MW thermal input bioSNG plant show that if 40 MW of electrical output from renewable sources are used to power a PEM stack during high power availability, the production of bioSNG could be increased by more than 33%, with a simultaneous reduction in CO2 emissions of more than 43%.

Evaluation of the potential and geospatial distribution of waste and residues for bio-SNG production: A case study for the Republic of Ireland

This article provides a sectorial input-output resource assessment and spatial distribution for wastes and residues that could be used as feedstock for bio-SNG production, in the case of the Republic of Ireland (ROI). European and national policies that regulate the use of agricultural and forestry residues, and tertiary waste are reviewed. Geospatial distribution of the available sustainable potential of each feedstock are computed and shown in maps with the existing gas network. Results show that bio-SNG has the potential to provide 10.18 PJ a-1, of which 7.16 PJ a-1 is supplied by dry mixed municipal solid waste, 2.5 PJ a-1 by forestry residues and 0.52 PJ a-1 by sewage sludge, agricultural residues, and digestate. The total amount of potential energy is equivalent to 5.90% of renewable energy supply for heating (RES-H) or 6.62% of RES for transport (RES-T) based on the 2020 energy total final consumption projections in the ROI. Although these results represent the upper sustainable limit of bio-SNG feedstock potential, they represent the first step towards informing gas transmission system operators and policymakers of the decarbonisation potential of bio-SNG. The next stages of this work will optimise the bio-SNG supply chain and conduct a full system life cycle assessment.

Techno-economic assessment of biomass-based natural gas substitutes against the background of the EU 2018 renewable energy directive

This paper investigates biomethane and BioSNG production processes against the background of the 2018 renewable fuel directive of the European Union (EU). The investigated biomethane processes use manure, clover grass, and grass silage as feedstock, are based on membrane separation gas upgrading processes, and generate 1.0 and 4.8 MW of biomethane. The investigated BioSNG processes use wood chips as feedstock, are based on the dual fluidized bed steam gasification technology and the VESTA SNG process from Amec Foster Wheeler, and generate 6.1, 12.2, and 49.1 MW BioSNG. The techno-economic assessment shows that the biomethane processes have, in general, a lower break-even price for the generated natural gas substitute. However, their scalability is limited and at larger scale (49.1 MW BioSNG capacity), the BioSNG processes become competitive. The 1.0 MW biomethane and all BioSNG plants meet the 2018 renewable fuel directive of the EU. In contrast, the 4.8 MW biomethane process does not meet the directive as the feedstock, which is mainly based on energy crops, causes significant CH4 and CO2 emissions.

Production of BioSNG from waste derived syngas: Pilot plant operation and preliminary assessment

Bio-substitute natural gas (or BioSNG) produced from gasification of waste fuels and subsequent methanation of the product gas could play a crucial role in the decarbonisation of heating and transportation, and could be a vital part of the energy mix in the coming decades. The BioSNG demonstration plant described in this paper seeks to prove the technical feasibility of the thermal gasification of waste to renewable gas, through a preliminary experimental programme to take an existing stream of syngas, methanate it and show that it can be upgraded to gas grid quality requirements. The syngas used in the project is a waste-derived syngas from a two-stage fluidised bed - plasma pilot facility, which is then converted and upgraded in a new, dedicated conversion and clean up plant. Extensive trials were undertaken on methanation and gas upgrading units for over 60 h of continuous operation. The fundamentals of a once-through methanation process train have been established on the demonstration facility and a model built to extend the analysis over different operational parameters. Over the trials, methane outputs of greater than 50 kWth output were routinely produced from three methanation reactors in series, with a total CO conversion exceeding 90% at pressures as low as atmospheric, in line with kinetic model predictions. Retention of CO2 as well as adequate partial pressure of H2O in the process stream was important for process control. The plant provided demonstration of the efficacy of a PSA system for separation of CO2 (99% removal efficiency) as well as the potential to remove a proportion of residual H2, N2 and CO, although this was associated with appreciable CH4 slip. The process can be optimized primarily by reducing inlet temperature to methanation reactors, controlling syngas composition and using adequate steam to carbon ratio, depending on the type of waste. This information can be used to inform the design and economics of subsequent planned commercial plants that could significantly increase the potential of renewable gas in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, providing a low cost route to low carbon heat and transport.

Techno‐economic performance of sustainable international bio‐SNG production and supply chains on short and longer term

AbstractSynthetic natural gas (SNG) derived from biomass gasification is a potential transport fuel and natural gas substitute. Using the Netherlands as a case study, this paper evaluates the most economic and environmentally optimal supply chain for the production of biomass based SNG (so‐called bio‐SNG) for different biomass production regions and location of final conversion facilities, with final delivery of compressed natural gas at refueling stations servicing the transport sector. At a scale of 100 MWth, in, delivered bioSNG costs range from 18.6 to 25.9$/GJdelivered CNGwhile energy efficiency ranges from 46.8–61.9%. If production capacities are scaled up to 1000 MWth, in, SNG costs decrease by about 30% to 12.6–17.4$ GJdelivered CNG−1. BioSNG production in Ukraine and transportation of the gas by pipeline to the Netherlands results in the lowest delivered cost in all cases and the highest energy efficiency pathway (61.9%). This is mainly due to low pipeline transport costs and energy losses compared to long‐distance Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) transport. However, synthetic natural gas production from torrefied pellets (TOPs) results in the lowest GHG emissions (17 kg CO2e GJCNG−1) while the Ukraine routes results in 25 kg CO2e GJCNG−1. Production costs at 100 MWthare higher than the current natural gas price range, but lower than the oil prices and biodiesel prices. BioSNG costs could converge with natural gas market prices in the coming decades, estimated to be 18.2$ GJ−1. At 1000 MWth, bioSNG becomes competitive with natural gas (especially if attractive CO2prices are considered) and very competitive with oil and biodiesel. It is clear that scaling of SNG production to the GWthscale is key to cost reduction and could result in competitive SNG costs. For regions like Brazil, it is more cost‐effective to densify biomass into pellets or TOPS and undertake final conversion near the import harbor. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Solution for the future smart energy system: A polygeneration plant based on reversible solid oxide cells and biomass gasification producing either electrofuel or power

The Danish energy system will continue to evolve in the years ahead as the goal is to be independent of fossil fuels by 2050. This introduces several challenges in dealing with intermittent energy sources, such as wind and solar. A novel biomass-based polygeneration system concept is proposed, which can offer certain solutions to these challenges. The main concept is storing electricity by producing bio-SNG from syngas generated by biomass gasification and electrolytic hydrogen when electricity prices are low, and producing electricity when prices are high. The analytical framework is built on thermodynamic modeling, and techno-economic analysis is applied to determine the total revenues required and net present value, given a range of bio-SNG and electricity prices. The marginal cost of operation is then used to estimate the average operation time in each production mode. The results demonstrate that both electricity (46%) and bio-SNG (69%) production efficiencies are high. If district heating is coproduced, the total efficiencies increase to 85% and 90%, respectively. Furthermore, it was found that the annual operation time in each mode varies significantly depending on the future electricity price scenario and bio-SNG price. A system that can select the production or consumption of electricity depending on the market price enables constant operation all year round. This results in a higher net present value for the system and may lead to a positive return on investment, given the appropriate market price of electricity and bio-SNG. However, the techno-economic analysis revealed that the district heating product may be important for the economic feasibility of the polygeneration plant. This system may offer solutions in a smart energy system connecting electrofuel, heat, and power production, toward a 100% renewable system.

Thermodynamic modelling and energy balance of direct methanation of glycerol for Bio-SNG production

Glycerol can be considered a waste product when the cost of processing is higher than the processed glycerol value. In these situations, conversion of glycerol to an energy vector may be more beneficial. The aim of this work was to design and assess the feasibility of a process for low temperature steam reforming of glycerol (GLT-SR). GLT-SR is a novel form of direct methanation that produces a CH4 rich, renewable fuel gas (Bio-SNG) that could substitute the current natural gas consumption associated with biodiesel production.In this work, thermodynamic modelling to determine the conditions that suited CH4 production and minimised carbon below 600 K as well as the impact of molar steam to carbon ratio (S/C) and pressure on the biomass to fuel efficiency of a GLT-SR plant were carried out using Aspen Plus® (V8.8) chemical processing software. Operating at 8 atm provided the benefits of high conversion to CH4 whilst minimising the outlet reformer temperature and achieving the required inlet temperature for catalyst operation.The Bio-SNG produced had an LHV of 16.7 MJ kg−1 and had properties like landfill gas and biogas. An energy balance of the process determined that the electricity demand was negligible due to the low energy use of pumps and fans without the need for compressors. Operating at 8 atm, the production of Bio-SNG in the GLT-SR plant has the potential to offset 30% of the natural gas embodied energy requirement or 8.9% of the total embodied energy requirement for soybean biodiesel production from farm to use.

Key aspects in the strategic development of synthetic natural gas (BioSNG) supply chains

This work investigates the impact of pretreatment technologies in the design of BioSNG supply chains at a regional and national scale. For this purpose, an optimisation-based framework is proposed to account for two possible routes for BioSNG production. The first route considers processing of raw biomass and production of BioSNG in integrated facilities. The second route consists of pretreatment technologies, transportation of intermediate products, and upgrading facilities. The main objective is to investigate the trade-off between capital investment and reduction of transportation costs, and their impact on the economic performance of a BioSNG supply chain. Moreover, the impact of government subsidisation is further investigated through a parametric analysis in which the tariff is varied from £0/MWh up to £100/MWh. Finally, the major contributing factors in the design of BioSNG supply chains are identified through the implementation of a rigorous global sensitivity analysis (GSA). The results suggest that inclusion of pretreatment technologies improve considerably the economic performance, however, their impact is not enough to detach the development from government subsidisation which influences tremendously the possibility of a large-scale deployment.

Systems analysis of different value chains based on domestic forest biomass for the production of bio-SNG

This study compares value chains based on domestic forest biomass for the production of bio–synthetic natural gas (SNG) with respect to economic performance, GHG emissions, and energy efficiency. Value chains in which raw material is upgraded to intermediate products before transportation to an SNG plant integrated with a district heating system for further upgrading are compared with a chain in which the raw material is transported directly to the SNG plant. The intermediates considered are either dried biomass from forest residues, or bark, upgraded at pulp mills, or pellets from sawdust upgraded at sawmills. The findings show that the difference in performance between the studied value chains is generally small. The highest cost and significantly lowest energy efficiency are associated with the value chain with pellets, which leads to the conclusion that more pretreatment than what is required by the SNG process, to lower transport costs, is not profitable. Drying forest residues at pulp mills before further transportation to and upgrading at an SNG plant leads to somewhat higher transportation costs because of the relatively high fixed costs associated with transportation. However, the benefit of drying the biomass using excess heat at pulp mills is that heat is “moved” from a location, where it can be hard to find profitable ways to use it, to the SNG plant, where the excess heat can be used for district heating. With these two factors working in opposition, the total cost is similar if forest residues are transported directly to the SNG plant or via a pulp mill. The lowest cost is achieved when falling bark from pulp mills is used because the first transportation step is avoided and no additional investment for biomass handling at the mill is required. However, there is a technical uncertainty regarding how much bark can be used in the SNG process.

Heat Recovery Aspects of Importance for the Product Mix and GHG Emission Reductions in a Bio-SNG System

This paper presents the impact of adjusted operating parameters (superheating temperature and backpressure or condensing mode) for the heat recovery steam cycle (HRSC) by external conditions on the product mix (SNG; power and heat) in a commercial scale gasification-based bio-SNG (biomass derived synthetic natural gas) production system. The GHG reduction potentials for a case with a condensing HRSC and for a case with the HRSC in backpressure mode producing heat for CO2 separation of the flue gases are evaluated. Pinch technology was used to identify the potential for heat recovery and process integration. Small changes in the operational parameters of the HRSC can result in significant changes of the conversion efficiencies of heat and power. With an HRSC in back-pressure mode, reducing the power production by 4 MW compared to the condensing case, it is possible to produce ~60 MW of heat for district heating. This study shows that approximately one third of the carbon input to the gasifier ends up in the SNG, whereas one third is separated prior to methanation and one third is emitted as CO2 in the flue gases from the combustor of the indirect gasifier. If infrastructure for CO2 storage is available, and CO2 separated from the process and from the flue gases is stored, the GHG emission reductions from the bio-SNG system can be doubled compared to a case without CO2 storage possibility.

Analysis of syngas methanation for bio-SNG production from wastes: kinetic model development and pilot scale validation

Bio-substitute natural gas (or bio-SNG) produced from gasification of waste fuels and subsequent methanation of the product gas could play a crucial role in the decarbonisation of heating and transportation, and could be a vital part of the energy mix in the coming decades. Although the methanation of trace quantities of carbon oxides has been practiced commercially for many years, methanation from syngas poses a more severe problem due to the high and unstable concentrations of reactants in the produced gas. In this work, a low-Ni methanation catalyst was tested in a differential reactor to derive a kinetic model that could determine a practical operating scheme for the first methanation step of a typical bio-SNG process. The model, comprising water gas shift and methanation reactions, along with their reverse reactions, was used for realistic modelling of the methanation process using high quality syngas, obtained from steam-oxygen gasification of wastes and gas plasma conversion, and to better determine the operation conditions in the first reactor of a bio-SNG pilot plant in Swindon (UK). The tests undertaken show that the catalyst was performing as expected using the waste-derived syngas at industrially relevant conditions, when compared to predictions of models derived from works using bottled gases. This gives confidence that the same approach can be used for the detailed design and operation of once through methanation reactor elements and process system configuration for bio-SNG production at larger scale.

Desulfurization and tar reforming of biogenous syngas over Ni/olivine in a decoupled dual loop gasifier

For the production of bio-SNG (substitute natural gas) from syngas of biomass steam gasification, trace amounts of sulfur and tar compounds in raw syngas must be removed. In present work, biomass gasification and in-bed raw gas upgrading have been performed in a decoupled dual loop gasifier (DDLG), with aggregation-resistant nickel supported on calcined olivine (Ni/olivine) as the upgrading catalyst for simultaneous desulfurization and tar elimination of biogenous syngas. The effects of catalyst preparation, upgrading temperature and steam content of raw syngas on sulfur removal were investigated and the catalytic tar reforming at different temperatures was evaluated as well. It was found that 850 °C calcined Ni/olivine was efficient for both inorganic-sulfur (H2S) and organic-sulfur (thiophene) removal at 600–680 °C and the excellent desulfurization performance was maintained with wide range H2O content (27.0–40.7%). Meanwhile, tar was mostly eliminated and H2 content increased much in the same temperature range. The favorable results indicate that biomass gasification in DDLG with Ni/olivine as the upgrading bed material could be a promising approach to produce qualified biogenous syngas for bio-SNG production and other syngas-derived applications in electric power, heat or fuels.

Economic perspectives of Power-to-Gas technologies in bio-methane production

A study on integration of Power-to-Gas technology with bio-methane production from bio-syngas produced by biomass gasification shows that a significant amount of excess electricity can be accommodated in bio-SNG production. By adding hydrogen produced from intermittent renewable sources to a CO2 methanation section, production capacity of methane can be doubled. The business case for Power-to-Gas for bio-methane has been evaluated using three future cumulative electricity prices curves. Results show that a positive business case exists only for price curves based on large amounts of intermittent electricity installed. The room for investment for the electrolyser will mainly and highly depend on future commodity prices and price curves, and will benefit significantly from a decrease in the cost price of the electrolyser. The projected room for investment available for a PEM electrolyser is lower than for a Solid Oxide Electrolyzer (SOE), because of its lower efficiency and resulting higher operating costs. In the case of large capacity of intermittent electricity, the projected room for investment of an SOE electrolyser is 650€/kW and for a PEM electrolyser 350€/kW, which corresponds to the projections of future electrolyser costs.