Fuel cell focus |
What’s driving the SOFC market?
The capability of the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) to run on hydrogen and at higher efficiency than alternative fuel cells when providing combined heat and power (CHP) is an enticing prospect. But which applications will be key to the success of the SOFC industry?
Dr Conor O’Brien Technology Analyst, IDTechEx, Cambridge, UK
A new IDTechEx report, Solid oxide fuel cells 2023-2033: technology, applications and market forecasts, provides a comprehensive overview of the solid oxide fuel cell market, including an assessment of the key technology trends and major players, as well as granular 10-year market forecasts for solid oxide fuel cell demand (MW) and market value (US$), segmented by application areas.
IDTechEx projects the total SOFC market value (mobility plus stationary power) to reach US$6.8 billion by 2033.
Continuous power
Due to high operating temperatures, ramp up/ down times can be long for solid oxide fuel cells, while the associated large change in temperature can lead to degradation of ceramic components, specifically if there is a mismatch of thermal expansion coefficients between neighbouring components.
As such, SOFCs are best suited to applications where continuous power output is required, and utility-scale power generation is one such market sector. Use of the generated thermal energy to provide heat and hot water to nearby facilities adds to the appeal of the overall system. The IDTechEx report details OEMs providing SOFC systems for zero emission utility scale power generation, partnerships that have been established with utility providers and case studies illustrating key examples of applications. Grid independence allows companies to operate with reliable power generation, even during power outages. A clear example of this ability can be seen with Walmart making use
Above: SOFC market share by application, 2023 (source IDTechEx)
of SOFCs provided by Bloom Energy to ensure supermarkets can remain open at all times, 24/7. An advantage for SOFCs in commercial and industrial applications is their ability to operate in CHP mode, raising the overall efficiencies of the fuel cell system towards 90%, higher than competing alternative fuel cell technologies, and providing heat directly to the commercial or industrial space.
On the other hand, data centres and telecommunication networks are also energy intensive, but in these cases CHP is not required as overheating of the servers is the main cause for concern with respect to temperature control. For this reason, several players have stated
to IDTechEx that they will not pursue power generation for data centres as a viable application area for their SOFCs. One notable exception is Bloom, which says data centres are a good fit for its SOFC offerings. [See p 16]
For on-grid residential applications, a suitable choice for backup power would be lithium-ion batteries charged from the grid. Batteries are more readily available and at a cheaper price point than low-power SOFCs. Another drawback of SOFCs is their longer start-up time and therefore fewer possible cycles. With connection to the gas network, SOFCs can supply combined heat power on a continuous basis and pairing with batteries provides a buffer for dealing with intermittent demand in residential applications. Japan is the most mature, and largest, market for residential CHP SOFCs.
Off-grid operation, with on-site gas storage coupled to a solid oxide fuel cell can provide continuous power.
The possibility of running the fuel cell in reverse (rSOC), powered by renewables such as solar, and producing hydrogen on site is an interesting concept – allowing the fuel cell to then run on this generated fuel.
Above: SOFC annual installations (MW), including historical and forecast data. The onset of high-volume manufacturing projects is indicated (source IDTechEx)
12 | July/August 2023|
www.modernpowersystems.com
However, the hydrogen must be stored on-site, a much less convenient fuel than a hydrocarbon. Residential off-grid applications are a relatively small market with approximately 0.1% of people in high income countries living off-grid.
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