Sunfire publicly presented its new electrolysis system HyLink Alkaline 23 for the first time at the World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam. The system has a capacity of 50 megawatts and is aimed at industrial large-scale projects. Current 100 MW projects of the company are follow-up orders from existing customers, said Sunfire CEO Nils Aldag at the presentation.
Aldag points to cost advantages of European production
On the sidelines of the conference, Aldag, who is also a board member of Hydrogen Europe, assessed the state of the European hydrogen industry. "China and Europe are leaders in the hydrogen market. Considering the total costs, green hydrogen produced in Europe is usually cheaper than imported hydrogen," said Aldag. European manufacturers also stand for transparent standards and high reliability.
Aldag also warned of the costs of fossil import dependencies. In 2022 alone, the additional bill cost Europe around 400 billion euros. Due to the current conflict in the Middle East, another triple-digit billion burden is looming.
Up to five gigawatts of electrolysis demand expected in Germany
With regard to the German market, Aldag referred to the implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive RED III via the greenhouse gas reduction quota (GHG quota). This has given green hydrogen in Germany a reliable demand of relevant size. "According to our calculations, a demand of up to five gigawatts of electrolysis capacity could arise in the next five years," said Aldag. This could serve as a model for other EU countries.
