Infrastructure

The IET Institute of Energy Technology operates the research platform for renewable energy sources Power-to-X (FOEEN-X) and carries out research and development projects in the field of power-to-gas, power-to-X and chemical energy sources:

• Projekt «High Efficiency Power-to-Gas Pilot” (HEPP)
• EU-Projekt «Unlocking European grid local flexibility trough augmented energy conversion capabilities at district-level” (Pentagon)
• BFE Projekt «Integrated steam generation for Solid Oxide Elecgtrolysis via downstream catalytic fuel synthesis» (HotCat4Steam)
• Innosuisse Projekt «Swiss Low-Cost Hydrogen Refuelling Station» (LCHRS).

With technical innovations, the experts at the IET Institute of Energy Technology want to increase the technology maturity of power-to-methane technology and demonstrate it on a small scale in a real environment. The innovations in this project relate to efficiency, so that the economic viability of the technology is increased and the environmental impact of the methane produced is reduced. Industrially relevant questions will be answered so that a transfer of the technology to a large-scale plant with an efficiency of 70% will be possible.

The core element in the PHOEEN-X project is a 10 kW demonstration plant, which is being built in Rapperswil. The concept of the plant includes a high-temperature electrolysis and an integrated heat management. In addition, the project integrates innovative technologies developed in Switzerland for the first time and investigates system behavior.

«The demonstration plant was inaugurated in the fall of 2018 and has since been shown to 1,200 visitors in guided tours. Current projects will run until mid-2021, and the IET's power-to-X activities will expand to other topics, with more projects being developed at the facility. Please send requests for guided tours to the following email address: besuch-ptx(at)ost.ch