Development, Manufacturing and Deployment of SOFC-Based Products at SOLIDpower

Abstract

SOLIDpower provides efficient commercial SOFC generators based on its proprietary low cost planar SOFC technology. The company operates pilot manufacturing plants in Germany and Italy and performs development in Australia, Italy and Switzerland. Focusing initially on the domestic and commercial micro-generation market, the installed fleet has cumulated more than 13 Million operating hours so far. More than 700 BlueGEN systems have been installed and operated, mainly in Europe. The fleet has cumulated. The company expects to exceed 1’000 installations in 2017 and has started ramp-up to a 50 MW capacity. SOLIDpower has made first demonstration installations in the United States, the UL certification is in process to expand its markets also in the Unites States of America. SOLIDpower is also a technology company that develops new applications based on the electrochemical membrane reactor. Besides co- and poly-generators of increased power level, also applications in the field of electrolysis and hydrogen generation are part of the development portfolio. For such specific developments, SOLIDpower establishes product development partnership with the end-user or system integrator. The field of new applications opens new challenges on the material and engineering side of the systems that go beyond the classical cost reduction and performance increase questions. A few example of challenges will be presented.