Ceres Power Holdings plc (CWR.L) has been awarded a further contract for the second phase of its collaboration with Shell, to cooperate in the design of a solid oxide electrolyzer (SOEC) module, for use in large-scale industrial applications such as synthetic fuels, ammonia and green steel.

Ceres has been working with Shell since 2022, leading to the deployment of a 1-MW SOEC system at Shell’s R&D facility in Bangalore, India. Building on this demonstration, the focus of this contract is to develop a pressurized module design that can be scaled to 100s of megawatts and be integrated with industrial plants to produce sustainable future fuels.

The program will use key learnings and data being harvested from the existing 1-MW demonstration project to develop a commercially competitive and scalable solution.

Key to this is the significant efficiency gains offered by SOEC technology, which results in approximately 35% more H₂ produced per unit of electrical energy when coupled with heat from industrial processes. The project will examine pressurized systems that can drive further efficiency, performance, and integration with other processes, targeting a module level efficiency of less than 36kWh/kg of H₂, which aligns to EU SOE 2030 technology targets.

Phil Caldwell, Chief Executive of Ceres said, “Our strategic collaboration with Shell continues to provide valuable insights, ensuring Ceres’ SOEC technology is well positioned to meet our partners’ needs for the green H₂ and synthetic fuels markets. Building on Ceres’ class-leading technology, our commitment to continuous innovation keeps Ceres’ commercial offering at the forefront of the industry in terms of simplicity, efficiency, and performance.”