Stories from Jülich · Germany

A startup is developing solid oxide fuel cells capable of operating at temperatures exceeding 600 degrees Celsius. The technology aims to store up to 200 terawatt-hours of renewable methane in existing pipelines, which could support the entire gas network for three months. Professor Ralph Peters, acting head of the Institute for Electrochemical Process Engineering at Forschungszentrum Jülich, expressed skepticism regarding the economic viability and cost-effectiveness of the solution. He noted that while the technical combination is interesting, its widespread adoption remains uncertain. Four installed Reverion systems have completed several thousand operating hours, but long-term reliability remains unproven for operators seeking electricity and heat. Access to the large gas grid in Germany is also limited by a low number of injection points for biogas utilization.