Bloom Energy to explore large-scale SOEC tech hydrogen projects with Shell

Hydrogen tech firm Bloom Energy has announced the signing of an agreement with Shell Plc. to study large-scale decarbonization solutions, utilizing former's proprietary solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) hydrogen technology. 

The companies have agreed to collaborate with the goal of developing replicable, large-scale SOEC systems that would produce hydrogen for potential use at Shell assets. 

"This technology could represent a potentially transformative moment for opportunities to decarbonize several hard to abate industry sectors," said KR Sridhar, founder, chairman, and CEO of Bloom Energy. 

"As the world leader in solid oxide electrolyzer technology, we are poised to provide customers around the world with our proprietary, American-made energy technology to both reduce carbon footprint and sustain economic growth", he added. 

Hydrogen being a critical energy used in the refining processes, Bloom's SOEC technology can produce renewable hydrogen at scale to augment or replace existing fossil fuel-powered grey H2 supplies produced at refineries by high carbon dioxide-emitting steam-methane reformation, the company claims.

The electrolyzers are manufactured in California and Delaware in the United States. Bloom claims to have the largest operating electrolyzer manufacturing capacity in the world (of any electrolysis technology), double that of its closest rival.

The company in May last year demonstrated the world's largest solid oxide electrolyzer, with a capacity of 4 MW producing 2.4 metric tons of hydrogen per day at the NASA Ames research facility in Mountain View, California.

The high-temperature, high-efficiency unit produced significantly more hydrogen per MW than commercially demonstrated lower temperature electrolyzers such as proton electrolyte membrane (PEM) or alkaline (AEM), the company claimed.