PHOENIX

Duration: 15 November 2024-14 November 2028

Funding provider: BMBF Funding reference: 03SF0775C

Initial situation:

The Rhenish mining area is to be transformed into a model region for climate-neutral and self-sufficient industrial processes and thus lay the foundation for sustainable employment through future-proof jobs in the core sectors of the chemical industry, energy industry and plant construction. To this end, previously fossil-based value chains are to be replaced by sustainable approaches based on Power-to-X technology (P2X) and without the need to import energy sources. Sustainable P2X value chains enable the efficient and flexible production of CO2-neutral material energy sources, synthetic fuels and CO2-negative base chemicals using electricity generated from renewable sources. These climate-friendly material products can be used in the lead markets and sectors of energy, heat, chemicals and transport & traffic to replace climate-damaging fossil-based energy sources. P2X products therefore make a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and thus help to achieve the goals of the energy transition, the agreement to phase out coal-fired power generation and international climate agreements. P2X thus provides a key technology for sector coupling and the establishment of a circular carbon economy. This opens up great economic potential in the production of ‘green’ recyclable materials. In addition, new business areas are opening up for industrial unavoidable CO2 point sources, such as thermal waste utilisation plants or the paper, cement, metal and glass industries, in which CO2 replaces fossil carbon sources as a regenerative carbon source in sustainable P2X value chains.

The project:

The project, in which partners from research and industry are collaborating, is divided into ten work packages. The focus of the NOWUM Energy Institute at FH Aachen is on the decarbonisation of the fuel sector through biogas valorisation. In a fermentation process, alternative, recoverable residues from the agricultural sector, the catering industry, food production and the paper industry are first converted into biogas, which consists predominantly of CH₄ and CO₂. In a downstream high-temperature fuel cell and electrolysis process, electricity is generated in fuel cell mode, which can be used, for one thing, to charge electric vehicles. If there is no local demand for electricity, the system can be switched to electrolysis mode. In this process, a synthesis gas is then produced, which can be used as a feedstock for fuel production in the chemical industry of the Rhineland mining region. The ideal location for such a demonstrator is near a chemical production plant, as the residual materials are easier to transport than the synthesis gas. On the other hand, the site of a biogas plant is also a suitable option. With a downstream Fischer–Tropsch reactor, synthetic diesel can be produced directly on site for farmers. The local use of the electricity and fuels produced contributes to the decarbonisation of the fuel sector.

Objectives:

The overarching objective of accelerated innovation cycles is to be achieved through an approach to agile technology development. In sustainable P2X value chains, electrolysis – as the most energy-intensive conversion process – represents the key technology and is therefore at the heart of technology development.

The P2X value chains made possible by energy-efficient and time-flexible electrolysis technologies, but not yet fully realised P2X value chains range from a ‘green’ hydrogen vector (Hydrogen Economy) to processes within a ‘green’ CO₂ circular economy (Beyond-Hydrogen Economy). To bring P2X value chains to market, there is therefore a need to develop both advanced H₂O electrolysis technologies and novel technologies for CO₂ electrolysis and co-electrolysis. Research and

development required to realise sustainable P2X value chains focuses on electrolysis as a key technology, with agile technology development centring on the work packages ‘Low-temperature electrolysis for P2’ – covering technology development and validation – low-temperature electrolysis for P2X with system development, and high-temperature electrolysis for P2X with SOC stack development.

Further information:

Click here to visit the official project website: www.phoenix-p2x.de/de