West Sussex-based Ceres Power to prepare demonstration of clean hydrogen fuel technology

Horsham’s Ceres Power is embarking on a two-year collaboration with German firms Bosch and Linde Engineering to validate the performance, cost, and functionality of its solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) technology.

Together, the companies are preparing a one-megawatt SOEC system ready for demonstration in 2024 at a Bosch site in Stuttgart. This system will involve the electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen, a green and low-cost fuel with an important role to play in hard-to-decarbonise industrial sectors.

Ceres has put aside £100 million for the project, which builds upon its 100kW electrolyser module currently in testing. Results have shown the smaller module to produce green hydrogen at a rate of just under 40 kWh per kilogram, representing a 25 per cent boost in efficiency over current technologies running at lower temperatures.

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The West Sussex firm will benefit through the collaboration from the industrial process engineering expertise and global footprint of Linde Engineering, as well as the product industrialisation and mass manufacturing experience of Bosch.

Bosch has already worked with Ceres on their solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology, which shares much of the same materials, manufacturing process, equipment, and design as the new project. The upcoming demonstration will allow the companies to evaluate SOEC at a system level and explore its potential for commercialisation.

Phil Caldwell, CEO of Ceres, said: “The vision for our partnership with Linde Engineering and Bosch is to set a new industry standard for solid oxide electrolysers, leading to widespread adoption in industrial applications.

“By combining Ceres’ unique technology, Bosch’s strength in scaled manufacturing and Linde Engineering’s solid expertise in hydrogen production, processing, distribution, and storage, we will establish a partnership that can make our technology even more competitive and prepare it for mass market adoption at scale.”

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