Delta secures license to hydrogen energy tech from Ceres for fuel cell and electrolysis solutions

Delta Electronics (Delta) has entered into a significant long-term collaboration with Ceres Power Limited.

This partnership, involving technology transfer and licensing, grants Delta access to Ceres’ portfolio of hydrogen energy stack technology for an estimated £43 million. Ceres is renowned for its expertise in solid oxide fuel cell and electrochemical technology.

Through this alliance, Delta aims to harness Ceres’ technology alongside its own leading capabilities in power electronics and thermal management to pioneer the development of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) systems for hydrogen energy applications. Production is slated to begin by the end of 2026, with aspirations for future expansion. These systems are expected to bolster Delta’s array of green solutions across various industries, including chemicals, energy, transportation, and steel.

Ping Cheng, CEO of Delta, said: “Hydrogen has high heating value and zero CO2 emission potential characteristics, and thus, will play a crucial role in the global transition towards net-zero. Moreover, Hydrogen SOFC systems boast reliability and high efficiency in electricity generation, making them ideal for micro-grid applications, distributed power systems, mission-critical facilities, such as data centres, semiconductor production lines, and other advanced manufacturing. SOEC systems will also play a key role in the chemical, utilities, and steel industries as they are adopting green hydrogen to replace fossil fuels in their manufacturing processes and operations. By leveraging Ceres’ expertise in solid oxide stack technology and our industry-leading technologies in power and thermal management, Delta will enrich its infrastructure solutions portfolio by delivering high-efficiency SOFC and SOEC systems for our customers worldwide, hence, further contributing to global carbon reduction targets.”

Phil Caldwell, CEO of Ceres, said: “It’s great to announce a new partnership today with Delta, a company with worldwide expertise in mass manufacturing, power electronics and system integration. We believe Delta can deliver efficient clean hydrogen solutions for its customers utilising both our SOFC and SOEC technologies. Green hydrogen has a key role to play in delivering a more secure and sustainable future energy system and today we take this first step towards what promises to be a strong collaboration with Delta to accelerate the industry globally.”

Delta also plans to establish a “Net-zero Science Laboratory” at its Tainan manufacturing complex to innovate in zero-carbon technologies, including hydrogen energy. This initiative will further enhance Delta’s R&D capabilities in relevant application fields. Between 2024 and 2026, Delta aims to develop products and integrate production lines at the Tainan plant with support from Ceres’ engineering services. The integration of Delta’s smart energy solutions with these hydrogen energy systems will offer more comprehensive and flexible low-carbon infrastructure solutions to its customers.

Ceres’ stack technology, crucial for both SOFC and SOEC applications, enables efficient electricity, water, and heat generation through the reaction of oxygen with hydrogen or methane. Its power generation efficiency significantly surpasses that of centralised gas-fired units, making it highly suitable for facilities requiring stable power. SOEC technology, especially when integrated with renewable energy sources, promises greater efficiency in hydrogen production, supporting the decarbonisation of industries like steel and chemicals, and the production of carbon-neutral e-fuels.

Ceres, with over two decades of solid oxide technology development and a licensing business model, is poised alongside Delta to address the growing global demand for hydrogen, anticipated to play a critical role in achieving net-zero targets.

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