Commercialization and future development of the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) in Europe

With the continuous consumption of fossil fuels, the increasingly serious problem of environmental pollution and increasing demand for electricity in China have forced the need to gradually increase the capacity of renewable energy technologies such as wind and photovoltaic power. The randomness and intermittence associated with in the generation of wind and photovoltaic power bring new challenges to the safety and stability of power-grid operations. With respect to the generation of either stationary or distributed power, the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) power-generation system can be designed according to the actual demands of specific users and effectively supplement shortages in the generation of centralized power, and thereby significantly improve the efficiency, reliability, and stability of the power supply. SOFCs have many advantages, including fuel flexibility, high energy-conversion efficiency (power-generation efficiency ranging of 40%–60%, comprehensive energy efficiency ≥80%), a whole solid structure, modular assembly, and near-zero pollution. SOFCs have a variety of different structures, and their power-generation scales range from tens of watts to hundreds of megawatts, with different structures selected for different application scenarios. These application scenarios mainly include fixed power generation, distributed power supply, combined heat (cold) and power supply, and auxiliary power units for traffic vehicles. SOFC technology in China has developed more recently than that in foreign countries and has made some progress. Manufacturers in China can independently develop SOFC power generation systems that produce more than 10 kW of power, but there remains a big gap between the systems developed in China and those developed by SOFC technology leaders elsewhere in the world, which is mainly reflected in the output power, production cost, and durability. Europe's SOFC technology is at the forefront, with a number of successful companies having realized effective products. Through the investigation of their technology and products, we can gain an in-depth understanding of the current situation and development trends of SOFC technology as a reference for improving China’s SOFC technology.