Bloom Energy supplies Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) solutions to EnBW, a German energy giant, for simultaneous heat and electricity production. Leading the global market
Expanding SOFC deployment across Europe, including Italy, the UK, Germany, and Latvia. Bloom Energy has supplied SOFC to over 700 locations worldwide, including more than 100 global clients such as Apple, Google, and Microsoft
SK ecoplant has been strategically partnering with Bloom Energy since 2018. Establishing a manufacturing plant in Gumi, South Korea, and promoting localization.
Bloom Energy, a global leader in fuel cells and a strategic partner of SK ecoplant since 2018, has announced its first entry into the German energy market by signing a supply contract for heat-supply SOFCs (Solid Oxide Fuel Cells) with EnBW (Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg AG), a German energy giant.
Bloom Energy recently revealed that it would supply a 300kW heat-supply SOFC solution to EnBW’s subsidiary, Geothermie-Gesellschaft Bruchsal GmbH, in Bruchsal, southern Germany. This marks the first export of Bloom Energy's SOFC to Germany.
EnBW is one of the leading energy companies in Germany and Europe, providing energy infrastructure and related services to about 5.5 million customers. The company aims to convert more than half of its power generation portfolio to renewable energy by 2025, transitioning from a traditional fossil fuel-based energy supplier to a sustainable infrastructure company achieving carbon neutrality.
The significance of this contract is heightened by the application of Bloom Energy's 'heat-supply SOFC.' This solution recovers heat exceeding 350°C, a byproduct of electricity production and utilizes it for steam production, hot water supply, and heating. Combining the world's highest power generation efficiency with high-temperature heat efficiency, it can achieve an overall efficiency exceeding 90%. The heat-supply SOFC was also applied to a fuel cell power plant near the Haerum Sports Center (formerly Bukpyeong Leports Center) in Donghae City, Gangwon Province, completed by SK ecoplant last year. The heat produced is used for heating and hot water supply in a swimming pool that opened in July this year.
The expansion of SOFC in the European market is expected to accelerate. Recently, Bloom Energy signed SOFC supply contracts with Ferrari in Italy, Perenco in the UK, and Elugie in Latvia, solidifying its position in the European energy market. They are also targeting the Iberian Peninsula, including Portugal and Spain. The entry into Germany, a leading energy country, signals a strong foothold in the high-demand renewable energy market in Europe.
SOFC is considered the third-generation fuel cell, with higher power generation efficiency and smaller space requirements compared to existing models, making it ideal for urban distributed power sources. SOFC has already been installed and operated worldwide with over 1GW of capacity, demonstrating its dominance in the global fuel cell market. Thanks to its world-class power generation efficiency, Bloom Energy has more than 100 prestigious global clients, including Apple, Google, and Microsoft, and its SOFCs are installed in over 700 locations globally.
According to the 'Stationary Fuel Cell Growth Opportunities' report by global consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, Bloom Energy holds a 44% global market share in stationary fuel cells, ranking first in the world.
Furthermore, global market research firm IDTechEx forecasted in its 'SOFC 2023-2033: Technology, Applications, and Market Outlook' report published last May that the global SOFC market would grow at a compound annual growth rate of 25.1%, reaching $6.8 billion by 2033.
SK ecoplant has maintained a strategic partnership with Bloom Energy since 2018, leading the localization and domestic distribution of the world's highest efficiency SOFC. In January 2020, SK ecoplant and Bloom Energy established a joint venture, Bloom SK Fuel Cell, and in October of the same year, they completed a manufacturing plant in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, starting domestic production of SOFC.
They are also making localization efforts by building a supply chain with domestic SMEs such as Hansun Engineering, LS Alsco, and Texon. As of the end of last year, they secured orders for approximately 380MW of SOFC in South Korea alone, continuing their progress in the domestic fuel cell market. They ranked first in the power generation fuel cell market in Korea last year.
Lee Wang-jae, Head of SK ecoplant’s Eco Energy BU, stated, "SOFC, with its world-class high-efficiency power generation technology, is the trend in the global fuel cell market. SK ecoplant, based on its strong partnership with Bloom Energy, will lead not only the domestic hydrogen industry and related technologies but also exports."