Hydrogen producers
Reduce the electrical consumption of your SOEC electrolysers by 10% thanks to Blue Capsule’s high-temperature steam. A single reactor can supply steam to over 500 MW of SOEC electrolysers. Blue Capsule also provides heat and steam for hydrogen production via methane reforming.
Global hydrogen production reached 97 Mt in 2023, of which less than 1% was low-carbon hydrogen. Demand? It has more than tripled since 1975 and continues to grow. The two main consumers are refining (43 Mt in 2023) and industry, primarily ammonia production (32 Mt in 2023), although for low-carbon hydrogen, e-fuels could represent an important future market.
Why Blue Capsule? Let’s talk SOEC:
Hydrogen production by electrolysis is based on the decomposition of water by an electric current according to the reaction 2H₂O → 2H₂ + O₂. Three main technologies dominate the industrial market: alkaline electrolysis, proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis, and high-temperature solid oxide electrolysis (SOEC). Each technology has specific characteristics in terms of operating temperature, efficiency, and investment costs.
SOEC electrolysis is particularly compatible with the Blue Capsule solution*. Our reactor can simultaneously supply the high-temperature steam required for the SOEC process and the electricity needed for electrolysis. This integrated configuration optimises overall energy efficiency and reduces the thermal losses associated with multiple conversions.
For a 550 MW SOEC installation, such as that envisaged in the MIDREX H2 process for steelmaking, a single Blue Capsule unit can supply all the steam required using its full thermal output. This configuration makes it possible to produce around 110,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year, enough to power a large-scale direct reduction iron plant.
And steam reforming? Is it compatible with Blue Capsule?
Steam methane reforming (SMR) remains the dominant technology for industrial hydrogen production, representing around 62% of global output in 2023. This endothermic process requires high temperatures (850–950°C) and consumes about 28–35 GJ per tonne of hydrogen produced. The main reaction is CH₄ + H₂O → CO + 3H₂, followed by the shift reaction CO + H₂O → CO₂ + H₂.
Blue Capsule integration into steam reforming focuses on preheating the reactants and providing high-temperature steam. A single Blue Capsule can preheat sufficient feedstock for an SMR unit producing 190,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year. This integration delivers a 60% saving in combustion gas while maintaining the plant’s operational flexibility.
Deployment potential in Europe
The European hydrogen market presents significant potential for Blue Capsule deployment*. With around 5 Mt of captive and merchant hydrogen produced annually in Europe, mainly by steam reforming, the preheating potential corresponds to around 26 Blue Capsule units. This estimate is based on the average capacity of existing plants and their specific thermal needs.
Six major industrial groups dominate the European SMR market: Air Liquide (France), Air Products (United States), Ally Hi Tech (China), Caloric (Germany), HyGear (Netherlands), and Linde (United States/Germany). These players offer integrated solutions ranging from captive unit construction to merchant hydrogen supply, creating opportunities for Blue Capsule integration at different levels of the value chain.
*If electricity is supplied from the grid, one Blue Capsule can provide high-temperature steam to more than 500 MWe of SOEC units, reducing electricity consumption to 3.25 kWh/m³ of hydrogen – a 35% saving compared with SOECs without external steam supply. If electricity is not available from the grid, or is too expensive, Blue Capsule can provide both the steam and electricity for 50 MWe of SOEC, resulting in an LCOH between €6 and €8₍₂₀₃₅₎/kg of hydrogen depending on the discount rate.
