Technology Outline (Process Description)

Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) are viewed as an emerging power generation and environmentally benign technology for securing future energy demands. The inherent advantages of high efficiency, flexibility in fuels used, low emissions, and low operational cost with high reliability make it the most widely used fuel cell currently. Accordingly, the global market is forecasted to see a phenomenal compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.87% during 2017-2023. SOFCs can be applied to microsystems, medium – and large -scale systems. Commercial modules of 10s & 100s of kWs SOFCs are readily available. The current scenario in India also offers promising opportunities for SOFC, and the market is emerging with rapidly growing commercial installations for distributed power generators as an essential sector. Further, if cost-effective technologies are available, a global niche market also exists for fuel cell materials and stack components. SOFC technology is somewhat complex and intricate, and the technical details are closely guarded by a few global players and are not available in the public domain. Substantial R&D efforts have been made in India in the last few years in various laboratories but on various individual components. Only CSIR-CGCRI, Kolkata, has successfully demonstrated stacks up to 1 kW (on its state-of-the-art anode- supported technology) with a performance at par with internationally reported benchmark specifications viz.,0.32W/cm² with an initial power of 1.049 kW and operating temperature of 800 °C. CSIR-NAL has developed both anode and electrolyte supported SOFC single cells and transferred the single cell technology to industry. However, in the AHFC programme, CSIR- NAL and CSIR-CGCRI have been entrusted for the development of 1 kW SOFC and 500 W reversible-SOFC (R-SOFC) based on the electrolyte-supported technology for the single cell making for which the overall TRL might be considered to be 2.