Topsoe CEO Baan named to Forbes’ inaugural Sustainability Leaders list

Baan

Topsoe CEO Roeland Baan was recognized by Forbes’ inaugural Sustainability Leaders list, which spotlights 50 of the most inspiring leaders across the globe who are driving for a sustainable future, for his leadership of groundbreaking efforts to steer dramatic technological advances in how we can efficiently produce clean hydrogen and other next-generation fuels.

The Forbes list of 50 leaders highlights “those audaciously driving the innovative and scalable solutions the world needs” and was announced Sept. 19.

The recognized honorees span industries and disciplines while all demonstrating exceptional ambition, innovation and recent tangible impact that is both scalable and sustainable. 

Since joining Topsoe as president and CEO in 2020, Baan has led the company’s nearly 3,000 employees across a dozen countries in rewriting the future of clean-fuels production.

Topsoe is currently constructing a cutting-edge solid oxide electrolyzer cells (SOEC) manufacturing facility in Herning, Denmark, that is expected to be operational this year.

These SOECs are essential to the efficient production of clean hydrogen and derivatives such as eAmmonia and eMethanol that will significantly drive down heat-trapping emissions from some of the most challenging industrial sectors, including steel, mining, and long-distance transportation where direct electrification is not a viable solution.

These sectors account for roughly 30 percent of global greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. 

In April, Topsoe announced plans to build a next-generation SOEC manufacturing facility in Chesterfield, Virginia.

This $400 million investment, pending final-investment decision, would be the largest-ever investment by Topsoe in the United States.

Topsoe and South Africa-based Sasol in March also announced a new joint venture to expand global production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), an effort aimed at making sizeable GHG-emission reductions in the aviation sector, which also has been particularly challenging to address in larger climate efforts.

The proposed plan to build a second SOEC factory in Virginia has received broad bipartisan support from the local, state and federal level, as well as a grant from the Virginia Commonwealth Opportunity Fund.

Once operational, it would have a planned capacity of more than 1 gigawatt.

The factory’s output of electrolyzer stacks will enable an annual GHG-emission avoidance of up to 2 million metric tons of CO2-equivalent, approximately equal to avoiding the emissions from more than 400,000 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles.

Topsoe’s SOEC technology increases electrolyzer efficiency between 20 percent and 30 percent compared to conventional electrolysis technologies, and thereby produces more hydrogen per total-power input.

“I am honored and humbled to be named to Forbes’ Sustainability Leaders list alongside so many influential individuals helping to drive the world to a more sustainable future,” Baan said. “The collective efforts of my fellow list makers are helping to drive the energy transition forward. The world needs more sustainability leaders collaborating to help drive innovation and get us to net zero faster.”