1. The United States develops low-cost catalysts to produce solid oxide fuel cells that can replace gasoline generators in automobiles
Washington State University has made key progress in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), making this high energy efficiency, low pollution technology a more feasible alternative to gasoline engines that power cars. Under the leadership of doctoral students Qusay BKour and Gene, as well as Professor Su Ha from the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at Linda, researchers have developed a unique and inexpensive nanoparticle catalyst that enables the fuel cell to convert liquid fuels such as gasoline into electricity without pausing in the electrochemical process, ultimately helping to achieve efficient gasoline powered vehicles with low carbon dioxide emissions, Because carbon dioxide emissions are one of the causes of global warming. Fuel cells provide a clean and efficient way to directly convert chemical energy in fuel into electrical energy. This type of battery is similar to a regular battery, but also has an anode, cathode, and electrolyte. However, the battery will provide the previously stored electricity, unlike fuel cells which can continuously provide electricity with fuel. Because fuel cells rely on electrochemical reactions to operate, rather than allowing pistons to perform mechanical work, fuel cells are more efficient than internal combustion engines in cars. When hydrogen is used as fuel, the only waste of fuel cells is water. However, despite the promising prospects of hydrogen fuel cell technology, storing high-pressure hydrogen in fuel tanks poses significant economic and safety challenges. In addition, there is almost no hydrogen infrastructure in the United States, so the market penetration rate of this technology is very low. Unlike pure hydrogen fuel cells, the SOFC technology developed by researchers can operate on various liquid fuels such as gasoline, diesel, and even bio based diesel fuels, without the need for expensive metals in the catalyst. Cars powered by gasoline SOFC technology can still use existing gas stations. However, fuel cells fueled with gasoline often accumulate carbon inside, causing the conversion reaction to stop. Common chemicals in liquid fuels such as sulfur can also hinder such reactions and cause fuel cell failure. Therefore, the Washington State University research team used inexpensive catalysts made of nickel in SOFC fuel cells, followed by the addition of molybdenum nanoparticles. When testing molybdenum doped catalysts, researchers found that their fuel cells can operate continuously for 24 hours without failure, and the system can prevent carbon accumulation and sulfur poisoning. In contrast, ordinary nickel catalysts can cause the battery to fail within an hour. Liquid fuel cell technology has huge business opportunities in various electricity consuming markets such as transportation applications. Researchers are building bridges with the automotive industry to manufacture fuel cells that can operate more sustainably in real environments.
2. Waseda University in Japan has made a new breakthrough by utilizing SOFC to generate electricity from methyl cyclohexane (MCH).
Recently, researchers from Waseda University in Japan have made an important breakthrough by successfully using solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) to generate electricity from methylcyclohexane (MCH). This achievement is expected to provide new avenues for the efficient utilization and storage of hydrogen energy.
MCH is an organic hydride with advantages such as liquid state, low toxicity, and high hydrogen density, making it safe and effective for transporting and storing hydrogen. However, traditional MCH catalyzed dehydrogenation reactions require enormous energy and have poor durability. Therefore, the research team at Waseda University is attempting to find a more efficient and environmentally friendly way to utilize MCH to generate electricity.
The research team conducted experiments using anode supported SOFC, which operates at temperatures higher than polymer electrolyte fuel cells. During the experiment, MCH reacted with conductive oxygen ions in SOFC to generate electricity, achieving direct conversion from organic hydrides to electrical energy. This means that MCH can generate electricity, and the energy required for direct power generation is less than that required for traditional MCH catalytic dehydrogenation reactions.
Professor Akihiko Fukunaga, the leader of the research group, said, "In this study, we have demonstrated that the device can be applied to control the dehydrogenation reaction of organic hydrides and the oxygen substitution reaction of aromatic rings. In the future, the application of fuel cells may create new synthetic chemistry."
The research team at Waseda University also managed to perform two processes simultaneously in fuel cells: dehydrogenation of organic hydrides (endothermic reaction) and power generation (exothermic reaction). In order to achieve this goal, they adopted anode supported SOFC and strictly controlled the working temperature and carbon deposition conditions. The experimental results showed that the production ratio of toluene to benzene reached 94:6.
The work of this research group has been published in Volume 348 of the Journal of Applied Energy (Dehydrogenesis of methylcyclohexane using solid oxide full cell A smart energy cnversion). This breakthrough achievement provides new possibilities for the efficient utilization and storage of hydrogen energy, and is expected to promote the development and application of fuel cell technology.
3. Doushan Fuel Cell invests 420 million yuan to build an additional SOFC production line
On October 19th, Doosan Fuel Cell Inc. officially announced the development of the "Korean style" Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC). The core components of SOFC, including the Cell and Stack, have all been domestically produced, while achieving the goal of mass production of fuel cell systems starting in 2024.
Doushan Group retains the core technologies of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) and phosphate fuel cells (PAFC), and in the future, Doushan will ensure its leading position in fuel cells globally through a third type of SOFC technology.
Doosan Fuel Cell Inc. announced on the 19th that its board of directors has approved a plan to invest in Korean SOFC production equipment. The production lines of SOFC cells and stacks for power generation, as well as the automatic assembly line of SOFC systems, will be invested 72.4 billion Korean won (approximately 420 million RMB) by the end of 2023. On the same day, DoosanFuel Cell Inc. signed a technology agreement with Ceres Power, a British SOFC technology company. Both parties will cooperate in the establishment of production lines and the development of equipment.
SOFC technology operating at a high temperature of 800 ℃ has higher power generation efficiency compared to other fuel cell products, making it more suitable for applications that only require electricity but not heat. DoosanFuel Cell Inc. will use existing technology to develop a SOFC power generation system with a temperature of 620 ℃, which has higher power generation efficiency and longer service life compared to current products.
Doosan Fuel Cell Inc. CEO Yoo Sookyung mentioned that the development of the Korean type SOFC will further expand the product line of Doosan fuel cells, providing different products such as PEMFC, PAFC, and SOFC according to customer needs. In particular, Doosan's hydrogen fuel cell products, as a 100% green and environmentally friendly power generation system, will further ensure Doosan's dominant position in the global fuel cell market.
At the same time, DoosanFuel Cell Inc. made a capital increase of 342 billion Korean won (approximately 2 billion RMB) to increase its current 63MW production capacity in South Korea to 260MW. To ensure compliance with the South Korean government's demand for mandatory hydrogen fuel cell power generation and sales in some overseas markets.
According to the current sales situation analysis of DoosanFuel Cell Inc., South Korea's GreenNew Deal policy and the investment of other countries in the hydrogen economy, it is expected that the demand scale of the global fuel cell market will increase from 300MW to 580MW in 2023. Doosan Fuel Cell Inc.'s 2023 sales target has also increased from 1 trillion Korean won to 1.5 trillion Korean won (approximately 9 billion RMB)
4. The world's first megawatt level liquid organic hydrogen storage project (LOHC/SOFC powertrain)
Ship-aH2oy will apply megawatt level liquid organic hydrogen storage (LOHC) technology for green hydrogen, and develop and apply zero emission propulsion technology on board. The European Agency for Climate Infrastructure and Environment has allocated 15 million euros to support the five-year project. This project is jointly undertaken by 17 cooperating units.
This project combines the application of LOHC and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) as power trains, which is significantly improved compared to traditional internal combustion engines. The LOHC/SOFC powertrain developed by the project will be integrated into Edda Wind's commissioning/service operation vessel (C/SOV) for demonstration application.
Hydrogen LOHC Technologies will be responsible for overseeing the detailed design of the LOHC release unit and integration with SOFC, while Hydrogen LOHC Marine will interface with external SOFC suppliers, responsible for the integration of the entire system, and install it into the container prepared by Edda Wind. The project aims to design scalable system architectures for large ships and power plants by integrating multi megawatt LOHC/SOFC.
The project manager of the vessel, Ø stensj ø Rederi, is responsible for key interface and machine space design, and together with the shipowner Edda Wind, showcases an efficient branch for applying onboard green hydrogen. After successfully demonstrating the technology for the first time, Ship-aH2oy partners have planned to retrofit several other ships with the LOHC/SOFC system.
Dr. Caspar Paetz, Chief Technology Officer of Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies, stated that there is a very special technological turning point in the Ship-aH2oy project, which involves targeted high-level thermal integration that can utilize SOFC waste heat for hydrogen release units in the endothermic dehydrogenation process. Through targeted and efficient thermal integration, high overall system efficiency can be achieved.
Hyystein Sk å r, General Manager of Hydrogenious LOHC Maritime, stated that in the Ship-aH2oy project, LOHC technology will provide megawatt level driving power. This project is a major step towards the mass production of megawatt level vehicle mounted LOHC power systems.
5. Bloom Energy and SK Ecoplant collaborate to build a hydrogen project for South Korea Electric Power Company
Bloom Energy (NYSE: BE) and SK ecoplant, a South Korean engineering energy provider from SK Group, announced the purchase of BE's SOEC electrolysis water hydrogen technology to build a large-scale green hydrogen production demonstration project. The project was initiated by South Korea Power Grid Corporation (KOSPO) and the local government. This is South Korea's first large-scale SOEC demonstration project, which will be put into commercial operation in 2025. It includes a 1.8MW SOEC proprietary green hydrogen production technology from BE Corporation for green transportation on Jeju Island, the largest renewable energy demonstration base in South Korea. Since the establishment of cooperation between BE and SK in 2018, a total of 400MW SOFC power generation system projects have been constructed.
6. Bosch invests in Ceres Power Holding in the UK to collaborate on the development of efficient SOFC
Bosch will acquire a 4% stake in Ceres Power Holdings in the UK to jointly develop the next generation of solid oxide fuel cells for electric vehicle charging.
According to the closing price on Monday (20th), this share is worth 7.7 million pounds (approximately 9.82 million US dollars), making Bosch one of the top ten shareholders of the group, on par with Weichai Power Co., Ltd.
"Bosch believes that efficient and low emission fuel cells can play an important role in ensuring the safety and flexibility of energy system supply," said Stefan Hartung, a member of the Bosch Group's board of directors, in a statement
Bosch stated that small SOFC (Solid Oxide Fuel Cell) modules can be used to meet the growing electricity demand in urban areas, and large power plants alone cannot meet higher (automotive) electricity demands. In addition, Bosch's goal is to build SOFC modules that can generate 10 kilowatts of electricity, while nuclear power plants typically have a capacity of 1 gigawatt.
On the European Automotive News Global Top 100 Supplier Ranking, Bosch ranks first. In 2017, Bosch's sales in the global original equipment automotive parts sector reached $47.5 billion.
7. Bloom Energy's high-power natural gas SOFC power generation system is being used for the first time on large cruise ships
Bloom Energy's SOFC fuel cell system has achieved its first onboard deployment and demonstrated higher power generation efficiency. The luxury cruise ship "Europa" under the Mediterranean Cruise Line is equipped with Bloom's 150 kW solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), which provides auxiliary power for the cruise ship during berthing by using liquefied natural gas (LNG). During the World Cup, this world-class cruise ship docked at Doha Cruise Port in Qatar. Bloom Energy Company stated that the power generation efficiency of Bloom fuel cells during ship berthing is 60%, which is a significant improvement compared to other existing power systems. At the same time, it can reduce carbon emissions by 30% and there is no methane leakage. In addition, this fuel cell system not only performed well during the berthing of the Europa, but also achieved full power output during its maiden voyage from Saint Nazaire, France to Qatar.
8. Bloom Energy builds a large 4MW SOEC high-temperature electrolysis water hydrogen production unit
In May 2023, electrolysis cell manufacturer Bloom Energy launched the largest solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) to date at the Nasa Ames Research Center in California. The 4MW system can produce 2.4 tons of hydrogen gas per day, with 20-25% more hydrogen per MW (megawatt) than an equivalent commercial low-temperature electrolysis cell. Bloom Energy previously tested a 100kW SOEC at the Idaho National Laboratory of the US Department of Energy, where it simulated nuclear power conditions and demonstrated production using 37.7kWh per kilogram of hydrogen. The efficiency of hydrogen production in this pilot project is more than 25% higher than that of low-temperature electrolysis tanks.

9. Elcogen from Finland and Bumhan Fuell Cell from South Korea signed an agreement to jointly promote the commercialization of SOFC&SOEC technology
Bumhan Fuel Cell, founded in 1990, is a South Korean company specializing in hydrogen application technology, with products including fuel cells, hydrogen compressors, and refueling stations. Bumhan Fuel Cell is the world's second company to develop and commercialize hydrogen fuel cells for submarines. Based on its core fuel cell technology, the company has built a wide range of product portfolios, including fuel cells for buildings, hydrogen powered ships, and hydrogen powered buses. Since becoming a shareholder of Hynet (South Korean Hydrogen Energy Network), it has been involved in hydrogen refueling station business. By 2023, there have been over 30 orders, and many hydrogen refueling stations have been commercialized or are currently under construction.
According to the mutual agreement, Elcogen will provide SOFC and SOEC technologies to provide efficient solutions for green hydrogen and zero emission energy production. Elcogen's technology has reduced commercial costs and provided customers with affordable energy solutions.
Elcogen's CEO Enn Õ unpu stated that the agreement signed with Bumhan is a continuation of the existing partnership. I am pleased to collaborate with Bumhan to bring Elcogen's SOFC and SOEC technologies into the market.
10. Shahrekod University proposes innovative applications of SOFC for seawater desalination
Shahrekord University's Afrasiab Raisi recently proposed a new energy storage configuration that combines solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), compressed air energy storage (CAES), and seawater desalination devices for power generation. At TOPSIS point, the round-trip efficiency of the system is 71.03%, the total cost is 34.07 USD/hour, and the pollution rate is 0.184 kg/kWh. This system is a new energy storage configuration that combines SOFC, CAES, and seawater desalination devices for power generation. Compressed air is operated by three compressors at the same pressure ratio during the charging process, using additional electricity. The combustion products of a gas turbine preheat the air, and the preheated fuel is mixed with water vapor. Subsequently, the fuel cell uses an electrochemical process to generate electricity from the preheated air and pre treated fuel. Water distillation is heated by waste heat from gas turbine exhaust gas. The multi-stage distillation (MED) device produces fresh water by utilizing compressed waste heat and waste heat from gas turbine exhaust during compressed air. The author models the system mathematically and evaluates it from three aspects: technology, economy, and environmental friendliness using EES software. Then, the neural network algorithm was used to obtain the most accurate model, which shortened the optimization time. Study the performance of the system and its impact on the objective function through parameter analysis. Subsequently, the grey wolf algorithm was used to reduce the cost rate and CO2 emission index, while maximizing efficiency. The results indicate that as the current density increases, the system efficiency decreases and the cost increases. The optimal results obtained through TOPSIS decision criteria have an efficiency of 71.03%, a total cost rate of $34.07 per hour, and a pollution rate of 0.184 kg/kWh. The inlet pressure of the storage chamber, compressor pressure ratio, and current density have a significant impact on system performance. According to the research results, the inlet pressure of the storage chamber, compressor pressure ratio, current density, and inlet temperature of the fuel cell should generally be maintained at the lowest possible level.