Cummins Inc. has been awarded $5 MM from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office for the automation of solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) and stack assembly,  reducing capital costs and facilitating the scale-up of the hydrogen economy. 

The aim of the three-year project is automated assembly of an SOEC stack with low direct labor input, increased cell throughput and a 100% quality control check. Following successful development, the automation concept should enable over 100 MW of electrolyzer production capacity.

"We believe green hydrogen will be critical to a decarbonized future, particularly for hard-to-abate sectors," said Amy Davis, Vice President and President of New Power at Cummins. "To dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet ambitious climate goals, we must invest now in scaling electrolyzer manufacturing and green hydrogen production to create a viable zero-emissions ecosystem. Rapid innovation like this will drive the acceleration of the energy transition in the United States and globally."

SOECs operate at much higher temperatures than PEM and alkaline electrolyzers, giving this technology the potential to become more efficient, especially when coupled with industrial processes that utilize steam or high-grade heat. This makes SOECs a potentially important tool in efforts to decarbonize industrial sectors, such as steel production and e-fuels like ammonia.