(Alliance News) - Ceres Power Holdings PLC on Thursday said it signed contracts with Robert Bosch GmbH and Linde Engineering, a division of Linde PLC, to collaborate on a green hydrogen demonstration.

The Horsham, England-based developer of clean energy technology said the deal related to Ceres' one megawatt solid oxide electrolysis technology for use on an industrial scale.

A two-year trial is to take place, beginning in 2024, at Bosch's site in Stuttgart, Germany, Ceres said.

It said the aim of the trial is "to showcase that the technology provides a highly efficient pathway to low-cost green hydrogen, which has a significant role to play in harder-to-decarbonise industrial sectors".

Ceres has committed GBP100 million in development of its SOEC technology, with its first 100 kilowatt electrolyser module currently being tested and initial results providing confidence that this technology can deliver green hydrogen at less than 40 kilowatt hour per kilogram. This is around 25% more efficient than current lower temperature technologies.

"Linde Engineering has world-leading capabilities in industrial process engineering of chemical plants and a global footprint in industrial facilities," Ceres said in a statement. "Coupled with Bosch's significant expertise in product industrialisation and mass manufacturing, the companies are aiming to evaluate and qualify SOEC technology for large scale industrial applications."

Ceres said the SOEC programme builds on Bosch's experience of Ceres' solid oxide fuel technology and the technology shares the same material sets, manufacturing process, equipment, and stack design.

The demonstration "represents an important validation of SOEC at a system level", which is a relevant basis for potential commercialisation, it added.

Ceres Chief Executive Officer Phil Caldwell commented on the deal: "By combining Ceres' unique technology, Bosch's strength in scaled manufacturing and Linde Engineering's solid expertise hydrogen production, processing, distribution and storage, we will establish a partnership that can make our technology even more competitive and prepare it for mass market adoption at scale."

Shares in Ceres were up 3.9% to 396.08 pence each in London on Thursday before midday, while shares in Linde were up 1.3% to EUR312.60 each in Frankfurt after midday.

By Greg Rosenvinge, Alliance News reporter

Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.