Feasibility improvement of Solid Oxide Electrolysis (SOE) is required to accelerate technology development. The study aims to determine whether and under what conditions reversible operation can improve the techno-economic feasibility of a large-scale open-system SOE. The feasibility of reversibility is assessed under various scenarios and sensitivities for hydrogen and natural gas as secondary feedstock, under hourly fluctuating wind profiles and power prices.
The results demonstrate that reversibility in rSOE mitigates risks associated with SOE, acting as a hedge against high power prices, low hydrogen prices, power profile inconsistency, and price volatility. Moreover, reversibility significantly enhances absolute techno-economic feasibility under specific conditions. The conditions require either a minimum ratio between the average power price and switch-price, choosing natural gas as a secondary feedstock, or meeting balancing market requirements.
This research reveals the feasibility-improvement potential of reversibility in SOE. The corresponding conditions are essential to identify the most suitable applications of the technology.