About DESIREE
DESIREE develops and validates an advanced 40 kW multi-stack Solid Oxide Electrolyser (SOEL) prototype designed to improve efficiency, durability and system integration in renewable hydrogen production.
Building on state-of-the-art stack technologies, DESIREE advances beyond the current state of the art in solid oxide electrolysis by addressing long-term degradation mechanisms, material limitations and system-level integration challenges that currently restrict large-scale deployment.
The project enhances existing stack solutions through advanced electrode materials, improved glass-ceramic sealing systems and optimised modular architecture. By combining high-temperature electrolysis with thermochemical hydrogen compression, DESIREE aims to demonstrate a highly efficient, robust and industrially relevant solution capable of achieving efficiencies above 85% and contributing to a significant reduction in the levelised cost of hydrogen.
The DESIREE concept
DESIREE stack
- Long-lasting TEC-gradient sealings
- Advanced cell integration
DESIREE cell
- Infiltrated Nanoparticles
- Recycled Materials
DESIREE system control & integration
- Solid State Transformer
- Dynamic System Control
Project objectives
DESIREE enhances SOEL technology by improving:
- Reliability
- Endurance
- Efficiency
- Operational flexibility
- Sustainability and circularity
- Adaptability to variable renewable electricity input
40 kW multi-stack prototype
DESIREE will design, build and validate a 40 kW prototype integrating novel BoP elements:
- Novel designs and materials for the hot balance of plant components of SOEL systems.
- Novel heat exchanger materials and designs to extend the lifetime of the solid oxide stack and the heat exchanger.
- Integrated thermochemical compression based on Metal Hydride Compression (MHC) technology.
- Modular and compartmentalised architecture.
- Optimized dynamic system control strategies to maximize efficiency and reduce degradation.
Cell and stack innovation
Within DESIREE, novel nanoscale-enhanced electrodes for SOEL cells will be developed, to enable:
- Lower operating temperatures.
- Improved electrochemical performance.
- Mitigation of degradation mechanisms.
Sealing and durability
Novel glass-ceramic sealing systems with tailored thermal expansion coefficients will be developed to:
- Improve thermal and chemical stability.
- Extend stack lifetime.
Circularity and critical raw materials
New ways to integrate circular economy principles into SOEL technology will be developed:
- Novel recycling routes for nickel, cobalt, lanthanum and strontium, involving end-of-life SOEL cells.
- Reintegration of recovered materials into new components at cell level.
- Reduced dependence on critical raw materials
- Development of sustainable supply chain strategies
Expected results and impact
As a result of all the mentioned innovations, DESIREE is expected to deliver:
- Efficiency gains of more than 15% compared to current technologies
- Increased durability and longer operational lifetimes (> 2000 h)
- Reduced electricity consumption (< 36.5 kWhel/kg H2 + < 8 kWhth/kg H2)
- Improved compatibility with renewable-based grids
- Lower levelised cost of hydrogen