Metal supported solid oxide technology for green hydrogen and sustainable electrofuels and electrochemicals

Solid Oxide Cell (SOC) technology is increasingly establishing itself globally as a mature technology for both power generation and green hydrogen production. In particular, Ceres' metal supported SOC Endura platform, which combines robustness, efficiency and low manufacturing cost, has been licensed by multiple companies globally to manufacture hundreds of MW per year with factories in operation or under construction. At the core of Ceres' technology is a highly differentiated metal-supported SOC based predominantly on ceria-derived ceramics, which in turn enable low (<650 °C) temperature operation. A key novel area of research and development for Ceres' SOC technology is co-electrolysis. Co-electrolysis, which is the electrochemical and catalytic activation of steam and carbon dioxide, allows the formation of base chemistries from an electrochemical cell. Ceres' SOC operating conditions allow co-electrolysis to proceed with the formation of either methane or syngas. This combined process allows renewable methane and syngas to be produced. Experiments with the SOC have shown that methane is formed at lower temperatures with high steam utilisation, whereas syngas is produced under higher temperatures with low steam utilisation. The paper will discuss the progress of solid oxide technology for all these applications related to sustainable electrofuels and discuss co-electrolysis and the boundary conditions which impact selectivity and yield for both methane and syngas formation whilst maintaining SOC thermoneutral operation and the challenges for the use of electrochemical cells for primary molecule formation.