Ceres Power Holdings and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ceres Power Ltd, have developed a unique adaptation of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) technology for use in distributed power generation. Unlike most fuels cells the SOFC can run off natural gas and other fuels as well as hydrogen. However most SOFC run at temperatures above the melting point of standard steel. By using ceramics such as cerium gadolinium oxide (CGO), operation below 600 degrees C is possible. Ceres has demonstrated this technology in a wall-mounted Combined Heat and Power (CHP) product. The company has four development agreements with equipment manufacturers, including Honda for a power generator, Nissan to develop an SOFC for electric vehicles, and Cummins.
Exchange: London AIM (CWR)
Financial Data from Exchange website: LSE summary
Financial Report: Annual results to 30 June 2017
Further Information: Operating at substantially lower temperatures than conventional SOFC designs enables the use of conventional stainless steel as the cell substrate. The use of such a substrate separates the functions of mechanical support and electrochemistry thereby significantly reducing ceramic content leading to substantial cost savings. In contrast to totally ceramic cells, these metal-supported cells are mechanically highly robust and can be easily sealed (e.g. through welding). They have thermal expansion coefficients well matched to their ceramic coatings, allowing greater resistance to thermal shock, permitting rapid start-up times and the potential for many on/off cycles for everyday use. In addition, the technology retains the fuel flexibility of SOFC, and has proven ability to run highly efficiently on commercially available fuels such as natural gas, LPG and biofuels.
Contact Details:
Ceres Power,
Viking House,
Foundry Lane,
Horsham,
West Sussex RH13 5PX
Tel: +44 (0) 1403 273463
Chairman: Alan Aubrey
CEO: Phil Caldwell
Website: http://www.cerespower.com/
Fields of interest: Energy storage
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