Reversible solid oxide cell (rSOC) on biogas

Prevents a division by zero in max(x, eps) guards.

Market range Not applicable (numerical parameter).

Used for complements (1 - penalty), the r = 0 branch of the CRF and the scaling exponent offset.

Market range Exact unity.

Used by the input guard comparisons.

Market range Exact zero.

Every % input is turned into a fraction with this factor before it enters a product.

Market range Fixed by the definition of percent.

Upper bound of the % inputs and multiplier for % outputs.

Market range Fixed at 100 by construction.

Caps the operating hours input and converts annual MWh into an average MW flow.

Market range 8760 h (8784 h in a leap year, ignored).

SRIA SOEL O&M is a fixed cost per unit of daily capacity per year, and capacity in kg/d is 24 x the kg/h output. Allocated by operating-hour share like the CAPEX, it is KPI x 24 x kg/h x h_el / h_tot per year, i.e. KPI x 24 / h_tot per kg.

Market range 24 h/d.

Converts kg/kWh into kg/MWh and EUR/kW/yr into EUR/MW/yr.

Market range Exact SI ratio.

Converts kWh quantities into MWh.

Market range Exact SI ratio (whitelisted).

Converts the Fraunhofer variable O&M from EUR/kWh into EUR/MWh.

Market range Exact SI ratio (whitelisted).

Converts kg into tonnes for annual flows.

Market range Exact SI ratio.

Turns annual operating hours into thousands of hours.

Market range Exact normalisation factor.

Keeps the size ratio inside the 500-1000 kW envelope (one to two containers) even if an API caller sends an out-of-range size. With the exponent at 1 the ratio has no effect on cost.

Market range Matches slider min 500 kW / 500 kW.

Prevents extrapolating the scaling law beyond two vendor units.

Market range Matches slider max 1000 kW / 500 kW.

Stoichiometric feed water of steam electrolysis: H2O -> H2 + 1/2 O2.

Market range Tabulated value, uncertainty below 0.01 %.

Denominator of the water and oxygen stoichiometric ratios per kg H2.

Market range Tabulated value (H 1.008 x 2).

Oxygen by-product of steam electrolysis.

Market range Tabulated value (O 15.999 x 2).

Half a mole of O2 per mole of H2 produced.

Market range Exact stoichiometric coefficient.

Reference size of the CAPEX scaling law (the M-500/1250 container to which the Fraunhofer and SRIA figures are transposed) and of the datasheet's heat and SNG figures.

Market range Vendor sells 100 kW and 500 kW units; this calculator covers 500-1000 kW (one or two 500 kW containers).

Electrolysis-mode electric input = 2.5 x rated power-mode output.

Market range 2.5 for both listed units; no other source.

Power-mode efficiency of the datasheet case (case_reverion_m500_datasheet), which reproduces the datasheet balance (625 kW biogas for 500 kW). The datasheet prints the same 80 % for the 100 kW and 500 kW units.

Market range 74.2 % measured (Cleanthinking) to 80 % datasheet.

Power-mode efficiency of the field case (case_reverion_field_2025); all other values of that case are the datasheet ones, so the case isolates the cost of the gap between vendor target and field data (LCOE 299.2 against 290.7 EUR/MWh at nominal).

Market range 74 % (Frontier) to 74.2 % (Cleanthinking).

Reference only: the model reproduces it at 500 kW and 80 % by construction.

Cross-check of the biogas flow node.

Default of the methane content slider.

Upper limit of the methane content slider.

Converts the biogas energy input into a volumetric flow.

Reference for the CO2 flow output.

Reference for the CO2 flow output.

Converts the CO2 volumetric flow into a mass flow.

Market range 1.977 kg/Nm3 (normal conditions).

Heat-to-power ratio 90/500 = 0.18, applied to the chosen rating; heat is reported, not credited.

Market range No independent heat figure for this product.

Electrolysis efficiency of both Reverion cases: 1000 kW LHV / 30 kg/h / 0.80 = 41.7 kWh/kg.

Market range 41.7 kWh/kg (datasheet) against SRIA SOEL 40 (2020) and 39 (2024) kWh/kg, shown for context only.

Denominator of the hydrogen LHV implied by the datasheet (1000 kW / 30 kg/h).

Market range 30 kg/h printed.

Numerator of the hydrogen LHV implied by the datasheet.

Market range 1000 kW printed.

Scaled to the chosen rating to show the SNG alternative.

Market range No independent figure.

Scaled CO2 uptake of the optional SNG mode.

Market range No independent figure.

Denominator of the consumption vs SRIA 2024 SOEL target ratio (context only, not a reference case).

Default of the annual operating hours slider.

Sets the default power-mode share of 75 %.

Market range Split is site-specific; no rSOC operating statistics exist yet.

Model CAPEX of both Reverion cases (upper Fraunhofer value, chosen for a first-series unit), and default of the customized CAPEX slider. A technology-class market price for the installed plant, not a Reverion price. Fraunhofer prices a 50 MW fuel cell plant ('Brennstoffzellen (50 MW)', listed with the hydrogen plants, 53 % electrical efficiency, natural gas until a 2035 switch to H2), about 100 times the 500 kW container: no source gives the per-kW cost at container scale, and smaller units usually cost more per kW, so the transposed figure is more likely low than high.

Lower limit of the customized CAPEX slider only (Fraunhofer lower value); not a model CAPEX of any case.

Upper limit of the customized CAPEX slider only. Not a model CAPEX: the SRIA capital cost excludes site works, margins and distribution and assumes 100 MW/yr production (KPI-1), below the fully_financed boundary of this calculator.

Market range 10,000 (2020) / 5,000 (2024) / 2,000 (2030) EUR/kW.

Programme target, kept out of the reference cases on purpose: a 2026 first-series unit is not priced at 2030 targets.

Market range Target value, not a market price.

Denominator of the CAPEX vs SOEL 2024 target ratio.

Market range 2,130 (2020) to 520 (2030) EUR/kW.

Power-mode O&M of both Reverion cases.

Market range 50 EUR/MWh (2024 target) against 100 EUR/MWh (2020 state of the art) in the SRIA; the 2024 target is used in both cases.

Fixed part of the Fraunhofer O&M equivalent.

Market range Single Fraunhofer value.

Variable part of the Fraunhofer O&M equivalent.

Market range Single Fraunhofer value.

Electrolysis O&M of both Reverion cases.

Market range 130 (2024 target) against 410 (2020 state of the art) EUR/(kg/d)/y in the SRIA; the 2024 target is used in both cases.

Drives the indicative annual stack degradation output (why stacks are replaced within a 12-year life).

Default of the biogas price slider.

Market range 0 (own substrate) to 110.2 EUR/MWh (2045 projection).

Upper limit of the biogas price slider.

Market range 87.5 (2024) to 110.2 (2045) EUR/MWh.

Default of the electricity price slider.

Upper limit of the electricity price slider.

Default discount rate (0.078 as a ratio input).

Context only (real vs nominal).

Market range Nominal rate, not mixed with constant-euro costs.

Default of the economic lifetime slider.

Market range 12 (Fraunhofer) to 20 years (vendor target).

Upper limit of the lifetime slider.

Market range Target, not a track record.

Context for the LCOE output.

Context for the LCOE output.

Context for the LCOE output.

Context for the LCOE output.

Denominator of the LCOH vs EU renewable average output.

Market range 6.71 (renewable 2024), 7.42 (grid 2024).

Context for the LCOH output.

Market range 9.85 EUR/kg (2022 grid).

STATUS: pre-commercial. Reverion announced serial production in August 2026. Efficiency defaults follow the datasheet (80 %); the field measurement is 74.2 %, the field reference case. Treat all results as screening values for a first-series unit.

Market range No range: a status statement, re-check once audited fleet data exist.

Exponent 1 (no economy of scale) between 500 and 1000 kW: plants are built by numbering-up identical 500 kW containers, as the Reverion datasheet states ('These units can be combined to form larger power generation and storage plants') and as the SRIA notes for SOFC above 500 kWe ('FC system modules of max 500 kWe'). The size slider therefore starts at 500 kW (one M-500/1250): the 100 kW unit is another product, and no price says it costs the same per kW. Shared site works for two containers are not credited, which keeps the figure conservative.

Market range Exponent 1 inside 500-1000 kW (one to two containers); no sourced exponent below 500 kW.

Catalogue product case (Reverion M-500/1250, the only product of the solid_oxide_cell_reversible class): 80 % / 80 % datasheet efficiencies, 8000 EUR/kW (Fraunhofer ISE 2024, transposed), SRIA 2024 O&M 50 EUR/MWh and 130 EUR/(kg/d)/yr. Default; reproduces the nominal balance.

Market range Not applicable (identifier).

Same as the datasheet case, with the 74.2 % power-mode efficiency measured at Stadtwerke Muehlacker (Cleanthinking, Frontier). Electrolysis mode keeps the datasheet 80 %: no field figure is published for it.

Market range Not applicable (identifier).

CAPEX evidence_level = medium: no reference case is a Reverion price. Both cases use the upper value (8000 EUR/kW) of the Fraunhofer ISE 2024 fuel cell band (5000-8000 EUR/kW), a market price for building and installing the plant. Fraunhofer prices a 50 MW fuel cell plant ('Brennstoffzellen (50 MW)', listed with the hydrogen plants, 53 % electrical efficiency, natural gas until a 2035 switch to H2), about 100 times the 500 kW container: no source gives the per-kW cost at container scale, and smaller units usually cost more per kW, so the transposed figure is more likely low than high. The SRIA SOFC 51-500 kWe capital cost (10,000 EUR/kW in 2020, 5000 EUR/kW target 2024) is not used as a model CAPEX: per SRIA KPI-1 it assumes 100 MW/yr production by a single company, installation on a prepared site (foundation, building and connections available) and excludes margins, distribution and marketing, so it sits below the all-in boundary this calculator declares. All figures are transposed from stationary fuel cells to the rSOC; the extra cost of reversibility (steam generation, switching, gas handling) is not priced by any source and may sit above this range. A supplier quote goes through the Customized basis.

Market range 5000-8000 EUR/kW all-in (Fraunhofer ISE 2024, 50 MW plant); 8000 used.

The single plant CAPEX is annualised once, then split between modes by operating-hour share: A_fc = A x h_fc / h_tot and A_el = A x h_el / h_tot. Consequence: the capital part of the LCOE and of the LCOH depends on total hours, not on the split. The sum of both allocations equals the full annuity, so nothing is double-counted. The same key allocates the fixed SRIA SOEL O&M (see om_all_in_per_output).

Market range Alternative keys (revenue share, energy share) would move cost between LCOE and LCOH.

Biogas is treated as a binary CH4/CO2 mixture (N2, O2, H2S traces neglected) and every carbon atom leaves the oxy-fuel anode as concentrated CO2: CO2 flow (Nm3/h) = biogas flow (Nm3/h). Hence CO2 per MWh_e falls when methane content rises (less CO2 ballast per kWh).

Market range about 330-745 kg/MWh_e over the input box and reference cases.

The captured CO2 is biogenic. It is a separate stream in both Reverion cases: the vendor states that the only by-product is pure biogenic CO2. This calculator reports it in kg and t; any storage or utilisation revenue, and any carbon-removal certificate, is left to project mode.

Market range No range: carbon accounting is left to project mode.

Useful heat is reported (kW and MWh/yr) but no heat credit enters the LCOE. A heat credit belongs to project mode, where the heat outlet can be priced.

Market range No heat credit by default.

Only the electric input of electrolysis mode is modelled and priced. Any external heat for steam raising is not priced: if the site has to buy it, the LCOH is understated. Feed water (stoichiometric 8.9 kg/kg) is reported, not priced.

Market range No range: steam heat is outside this calculator's battery limit.

Each mode pays O&M only for its own hours. Power mode: the SRIA SOFC all-in rate in EUR/MWh_e over power-mode output. Electrolysis mode: the SRIA SOEL KPI (EUR per kg/d of capacity per year) is a fixed annual cost of the shared plant, allocated by operating-hour share like the CAPEX annuity: KPI x capacity x h_el / h_tot per year, i.e. KPI x 24 / h_tot EUR/kg. Charging a dedicated electrolyser's full year of O&M to the electrolysis hours alone would ignore that the same stacks spend h_fc in power mode, where the SOFC O&M (stack replacements included) is already paid. The 2030 targets are kept out of the reference cases on purpose: a 2026 first-series unit is not priced at 2030 targets. Stack replacements are therefore inside the O&M exported to project mode; they are not shown as a separate replacement component, which would count them twice. With the Customized CAPEX basis, O&M stays that of the selected case (EUR/MWh_e and EUR/(kg/d)/yr), independent of the quote.

Market range 50 EUR/MWh_e; 0.39 EUR/kg at 8000 h/yr (0.39-0.62 EUR/kg over the 5000-8000 h slider range).

The SRIA all-in figure is the default because the 12-year life exceeds the stack life (degradation 0.4-0.6 %/1,000 h) and Fraunhofer does not state an explicit stack replacement. Switching to the Fraunhofer figure would lower the nominal LCOE by about 30 EUR/MWh.

Market range ~20 to 100 EUR/MWh.

All costs are in constant euros with no escalation, so the discount rate is a REAL rate (default 7.8 %). The nominal 9.6 % must not be used with these costs.

Market range 6-10 % real on the slider (below 6 % is not defensible for a pre-commercial technology).

LCOE = A_fc / E + O&M_fc + biogas price / efficiency. LCOH = A_el / M + O&M_el + electricity price x specific consumption. A = CAPEX x CRF.

Market range Not applicable (method).

An optional relative efficiency penalty (0-3 %) applies to both modes on top of the reference case: degradation between stack swaps, part load and hot standby during mode switches. Default 0 keeps the case balance; the field-measured efficiency is a reference case of its own, not a value of this input.

Market range 0-3 % relative.

Total CAPEX = specific CAPEX x rated power-mode output. In both reference cases the model CAPEX is the Fraunhofer ISE 2024 fuel cell upper value (8000 EUR/kW): a German market price for building and installing a 50 MW fuel cell plant, excluding VAT, that Fraunhofer enters directly in its LCOE, transposed to the 500 kW container. It is declared battery_limit = fully_financed, so project mode adds no further uplift. The SRIA SOFC capital cost (10,000 / 5,000 EUR/kW) excludes site works, margins and distribution, and assumes 100 MW/yr production, so it would be undercounted at this boundary: it is not a model CAPEX of any case, and the 10,000 EUR/kW Customized slider maximum is not an all-in figure.

Market range No range: boundary declaration (fully_financed, x1.00 in project mode).

In project mode biogas and electricity are inlets (paid at project prices) and are not in the exported O&M. The meta exports O&M only, in two lines: the SRIA SOFC O&M per MWh of power-mode output as variable opex (150,000 EUR/yr at nominal) and the hour-share SRIA SOEL O&M as fixed opex (23,400 EUR/yr at nominal). The two sum to the all-in O&M output (173,400 EUR/yr), so no cost is booked twice. The calculator's own LCOE and LCOH include the biogas and electricity prices set here.

Market range No range: accounting rule (META_CONTRACT I5).

The co-electrolysis/methanation mode (SNG) is shown as an hourly potential at the chosen rating. The LCOH assumes the hydrogen mode for all electrolysis hours.

Market range No range: optional mode reported as an hourly potential only.

Over the input box (500-1000 kW, 5000-8000 h, 25-90 % power share, the two reference cases, 50-75 % CH4, 0-3 % penalty, model or customized CAPEX at 5000-10,000 EUR/kW, 6-10 % real, 12-20 years, 0-110.2 EUR/MWh biogas, 0-92 EUR/MWh power; 4096 corners), LCOE stays within 104.5-496.6 EUR/MWh, LCOH within 1.30-9.62 EUR/kg, CO2 captured within 330.5-551.0 kg/MWh_e, and heat and losses stay positive (282.5 MWh/yr at least). Both cost maxima sit at 5000 h, 10 % real, 12 years, a 3 % penalty and a customized 10,000 EUR/kW: LCOE 496.6 EUR/MWh in the field case at 110.2 EUR/MWh biogas, LCOH 9.62 EUR/kg at 92 EUR/MWh power. With the model CAPEX (8000 EUR/kW) the field case at 5000 h, 25 % power share, 10 % real, 12 years, 3 % penalty, 110.2 EUR/MWh biogas and 92 EUR/MWh power gives 437.9 EUR/MWh and 8.61 EUR/kg (boundary test). CO2 captured peaks at 551.0 kg/MWh_e in the field case (74.2 %, 3 % penalty, 50 % CH4) and is lowest at 75 % CH4 in the datasheet case. Declared bounds: LCOE 100-520 EUR/MWh, LCOH 1-10.5 EUR/kg, CO2 300-560 kg/MWh_e.

Market range See output bounds.

units_policy currency_year is 2024 (the Fraunhofer CAPEX and price basis). The SRIA O&M rates (50 EUR/MWh SOFC, 130 EUR/(kg/d)/yr SOEL, 2024 targets) are used as printed in the Feb 2022 KPI document, not restated to 2024 euros. If their base is 2022 money they are about 8 % low in 2024 euros: on the nominal case that is about 4 EUR/MWh on the LCOE and 0.03 EUR/kg on the LCOH.

Market range Restatement factor ~1.08 (2022 to 2024 money), not applied.