Imagine using a giant magnifying glass to heat up a special liquid that breaks water apart into hydrogen fuel. Instead of using expensive rare metals like platinum, this system uses a clever loop with sulphur to make the process cheaper. It's like a chemical relay race where solar heat does the heavy lifting and a low-temperature battery-like step finishes the job.
Hydrogen production currently relies on expensive catalysts (PGMs) or high electricity costs. There is a need for a cost-competitive, solar-driven method that reduces energy input and material costs.
A pilot plant integrating a solar particle receiver, hot particle storage, a sulphuric acid decomposition reactor (SAD-STS), and a sulphur dioxide depolarized electrolyzer (SDE).
If you are an industrial gas producer dealing with high electricity costs for electrolysis — this project developed a hybrid sulphur cycle that uses solar heat to lower the energy barrier. This allows for hydrogen production without relying on expensive Platinum Group Metals.
If you are a CSP plant operator dealing with energy storage and diversification — this project developed a 750kWth centrifugal particle receiver and storage system. This enables the plant to produce high-value hydrogen instead of just electricity.
If you are a chemical manufacturer dealing with sulphuric acid processing — this project developed a 250kWth SAD-STS reactor. This allows for the integration of hydrogen production directly into existing acid-handling infrastructure.
The project aims to reduce costs by using non-critical materials and catalysts, specifically avoiding expensive Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) in the electrolyzer.
The pilot plant integrates a 750kWth centrifugal particle receiver, a 250kWth SAD-STS reactor, and a 100kWe SDE unit.
Based on available project data, the project focuses on developing know-how and prototypes; specific licensing terms are not provided.
The system is designed for testing in a large-scale solar tower for a period of at least 6 months using smart operation and control strategies.
The project period runs from 2023-01-01 to 2026-12-31, with a minimum 6-month testing window in a solar tower.
The consortium consists of 6 partners across 5 countries, heavily weighted toward research (4 partners) and universities (1 partner), with a modest industrial presence (17% industry ratio). Led by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the group combines high-level academic research with practical application, though the low number of SMEs suggests the technology is still in the pre-commercial validation phase.
Contact DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt eV) regarding the HySelect project
Contact us to find licensing opportunities for PGM-free electrolyzers.
