Entech partners with Genvia to industrialise high-temperature electrolysers
Entech delivered a containerised electrical conversion and distribution solution to Genvia at the end of September for the Béziers pilot site. A second piece of equipment will be delivered to the CEA site in Grenoble later this year. Entech’s solutions will equip the first Genvia electrolysers to be commissioned this year as part of its pilot project, supported by the French government via BPIfrance, the first step towards the large-scale manufacture of high-temperature electrolysers for the production of carbon-free hydrogen on a global scale. On 12 October, Entech and Genvia signed a strategic partnership in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) covering the forthcoming industrial phase.
Scalable and compact, the technical solution developed by Entech supplies power to the electrolyser stacks from the electrical grid, as well as other functions essential to the smooth operation of the electrolyser. This collaboration will make it possible to explore and research advanced power electronics solutions for improving the efficiency of H2 production.
The first Genvia demonstrators will be capable of producing up to 600 kg of carbon-free hydrogen per day, with energy yields unmatched by existing technologies. They are currently being deployed at Genvia sites, with deployment at the first industrial steelworks planned for 2025. Genvia’s objective is to test and validate its breakthrough SOEL (Solid Oxide Electrolysis) electrolysis technology on a system of significant size, representative of its first markets.
“Choosing the right partners, like in this collaboration with Entech, is a key factor in the success of the rapid industrialisation of our high-performance electrolyser technology, with a view to adressing the strong growth of the low-carbon hydrogen market. This initial demonstration phase is an important milestone for testing our technology in real conditions, before our electrolysers are ramped up and deployed on a mass scale,” said Florence Lambert, President of Genvia.
“Entech is delighted to have won the confidence of Genvia, one of the major players in electrolysis in France and in Europe, with a very promising technology. Entech’s skills in power electronics, integration and control convinced Genvia’s teams to choose us as their partner for the conversion component of their electrolysers, and we’re proud of that! Our agility and availability during the pre-project phase are qualities that we cultivate on a daily basis to effectively support our customers in the development of their hydrogen solutions,” says Christopher Franquet, CEO and co-founder of Entech.
