Ceres Power, Shell ink pact for megawatt-scale SOEC for green H2
Ceres Power has announced that it has signed an agreement with Shell to deliver a megawatt-scale solid oxide electrolyser (SOEC) demonstrator in 2023.
Shell and Ceres are building this partnership to utilize SOEC technology to deliver high-efficiency, low-cost green hydrogen; now widely viewed as a credible route to decarbonize hard-to-abate parts of the energy system that rely on fossil fuels today.
Ceres aims to produce hydrogen at efficiencies around 20 percent greater than other technologies, in the range of mid-80s to 90 percent efficiency where it is possible to make use of waste heat in industrial processes to drive this high efficiency.
Ceres has committed £100 million for the development of its SOEC technology – intending to achieve a market-leading levelised cost of hydrogen of $1.5/kg by 2025. The agreement with Shell aligns with Ceres' business strategy and provides a pathway to the commercialization and development of new markets.
The system will be installed at Shell's research and development technology centre in Bangalore, India, where the hydrogen will be used in industrial processes on site. The centre is a key part of Shell's focus on innovation and technology with the potential to provide cleaner energy solutions.
Phil Caldwell, Chief Executive of Ceres commented: "Today's announcement with Shell is a hugely important step for Ceres. The partnership endorses our business strategy and signals the potential of our SOEC technology to deliver low-cost green hydrogen for industrial decarbonization at the scale and pace needed to reach net-zero."
Yuri Sebregts, EVP Technology, Shell: "Shell's Powering Progress strategy sets a clear ambition for Shell to be a leader in the energy transition and accelerate our journey to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050. Hydrogen features heavily in that strategy. Ceres, with its differentiating SOEC technology, has the potential to produce Hydrogen at an optimum cost and efficiency profile. The pilot and collaboration with Ceres are a step forward in maturing this promising technology towards industrial scale."
