Nel ASA Launches Next-Gen Pressurized Alkaline Platform (Calluna Project) Backed by €135M EU Grant
- The EU's Long-Term Goal: To achieve full climate neutrality by 2050, the European Union has set aggressive clean energy targets, aiming to produce and import 20 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen by 2030.
- The Funding: To accelerate this transition, the EU is backing Nel ASA's industrialization efforts with a €135 million grant from the EU Innovation Fund, covering up to 60% of eligible costs.
- The Calluna Project: This is Nel's flagship initiative to scale up and mass-produce its next-generation pressurized alkaline electrolyser technology. Located at its automated plant in Herøya, Norway, the project establishes an immediate 1 GW/year production capacity, with a clear roadmap to scale up to 4 GW/year.
Following eight years of development and rigorous prototype testing, Nel has officially announced the commercial launch of this platform. Below is a summary of the technical and financial breakthroughs highlighted in their latest release:
Technical & Commercial Highlights:
- Cost Disruption: It sets a new cost benchmark, enabling an estimated turnkey full-scope cost below $1,450 per kW (based on a 25 MW plant). This is a massive drop compared to many current industrial projects that often approach or exceed $3,000 per kW.
- 40%–60% CAPEX Reduction: Standardizing components and streamlining the system architecture reduces overall CAPEX by up to 60% compared to existing options on the market.
- Standardized, Modular Design: Rather than custom, bespoke engineering projects, the platform uses factory-assembled and pre-tested 25 MW modular skid units.
- Outdoor-Ready: The system is engineered to operate reliably outdoors, removing the need for costly building construction and minimizing civil works.
- 15-Bar Pressurized Operation: Running at a 15-bar pressurized configuration improves overall energy efficiency and significantly reduces downstream compression costs.
- Optimized for Real-World Conditions: Designed specifically to handle the variable power inputs of renewable energy (wind/solar) while maintaining high in-field energy performance.
This launch represents a pivotal shift from custom-engineered projects to standardized, assembly-line industrialization—making large-scale green hydrogen economically viable for heavy industry, green steel, and e-fuels.