Selection of Highlights of the European Project Next Generation Solid Oxide Fuel Cell and Electrolysis Technology – NewSOC

Solid oxide technologies (SOC: Solid oxide fuel cells SOFC & Solid oxide electrolysis SOE) are key enabling technologies for energy systems based on renewable sources and allow for a strong interlinking of sectors electricity, heat, and gas/fuels. SOC can emerge as key players in many concepts, such as fuel/gas to power and heat at small to large scale, energy storage through power to hydrogen/fuel, utilization and upgrading of biogas, balancing of intermittent electricity from renewable sources through load following and reversible operation, and central and decentral solutions for electricity and heat production. In a time, where first SOC systems enter demonstration and commercial markets, the NewSOC project focusses on next generations. It aims at significantly improving performance, durability, and cost competitiveness of solid oxide cells & stacks compared to state-of-the-art (SoA). In order to achieve these goals, NewSOC investigates twelve innovative concepts in the following areas: (i) structural optimization and innovative architectures based on SoA materials, (ii) alternative materials, which allow for overcoming inherent challenges of SoA, (iii) innovative manufacturing to reduce critical raw materials and reduction of environmental footprint at improved performance & lifetime. The NewSOC unifies competences of 16 strong research and industry players. First scientific highlights were achieved despite the challenging working conditions under the European wide covid-19 restrictions in the first year of the project. The presentation will provide a selection of these highlights. One focus area is the development of novel electrode materials, where high performance, impurity tolerance and stability are the primary targets. Nanostructured fuel electrodes based on doped SrTiO 3 perovskites such as LaSrFeNiTiO 3 are being developed as backbones. Subsequent, wet infiltration of Ni:GDC ensures high electro catalytic activity and ionic conductivity, while retaining the advantages of Ni-metal free fuel electrodes outlined above. Furthermore, a class of doped lanthanum chromites (La 0.75 Sr 0.25 Cr x M 1-x O 3-δ , M=Fe, Mn, Ni) is developed as Ni-metal free fuel electrodes, to overcome the challenges faced by the SoA Ni-cermets. The perovskite structured electrodes, combined with highly conductive electrolytes have high performance, low ASR and flexibility in various operating modes (SOEC, rSOC). The most attractive feature of this class of electro catalyst