Bloom Energy Corp. (San Jose, Calif.) is teaming up with Shell Plc. to study decarbonization solutions, utilizing Bloom’s proprietary hydrogen electrolyzer technology.
Bloom and Shell will collaborate with the goal of developing replicable, large-scale, solid oxide electrolyzer (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.”
Bloom’s SOEC technology can produce clean hydrogen at scale to augment or replace existing fossil fuel-powered “grey” hydrogen supplies produced at refineries by high carbon dioxide-emitting steam-methane reformation. Clean or “green” hydrogen is produced from water electrolysis, using renewable energy, essentially eliminating greenhouse gas emissions.
Demand for the Bloom Electrolyzer, which is manufactured in California and Delaware, has been growing given the increased interest in the low carbon economy. According to an independent analysis, Bloom now has the largest operating electrolyzer manufacturing capacity in the world of any electrolysis technology, double that of its closest rival. It staged a highly successful demonstration commencing in May of this year with the world’s largest solid oxide electrolyzer, with a capacity of 4 Megawatts, where it produced 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 megawatt (MW) than commercially demonstrated lower temperature electrolyzers such as proton electrolyte membrane (PEM) or alkaline.