Bosch teams up with fuel-cell expert Ceres Power to boost development of SteelCell™ technology

Ceres Power and Robert Bosch GmbH (Bosch) have signed a strategic collaboration, combining their respective expertise in solid-oxide fuel-cell (SOFC) technology and manufacturing.

The collaboration, which sees Bosch invest a £9m strategic equity investment in Ceres Power, will further develop Ceres Power’s SteelCell™ technology, establishing low-volume production at Bosch and enabling the future mass-manufacture of SteelCell™ for use in multiple applications, from power stations through to electric vehicle charge points.

The relationship with Bosch represents yet another key strategic relationship for Ceres Power. The Horsham-based fuel-cell specialist, whose aim is to bring cleaner and cheaper energy to businesses, homes and vehicles, has been endorsed by several other world-leading companies including Weichai Power, Nissan, Honda and Cummins. Their aim, alongside Ceres Power, is to embed SteelCell™ in their next generation mass-market energy products for the commercial, residential and transportation markets.

“The vision for our partnership with Bosch is to set a new industry standard for solid-oxide fuel cells, leading to widespread adoption in distributed power supplies,” said Phil Caldwell, CEO of Ceres Power. “By combining Ceres’ unique SteelCell™ technology with Bosch’s engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain strength we will establish a strong partnership that can make our technology even more competitive and prepare it for potential mass production.”  

The growing demand for fuel cell technology

With urbanisation on the rise, fuel-cell technology has a crucial role to play in securing power supplies. By 2050, it is expected that more than six billion people worldwide – 70% of the global population – will live in cities. Even now, the world’s metropolises account for 75% of the energy consumed worldwide. By 2035, global energy consumption will have increased by 30% and, in the future, meeting this increased demand for electricity solely with large, centralised power stations will not be possible.

“Bosch believes that the highly efficient fuel cell, with its very low emissions, has an important role to play in energy systems’ security of supply and flexibility,” Stefan Hartung, Bosch management board member, explained. “Fuel-cell technology will bring the move to alternative energy a step closer, and we will be working on this with our development partner Ceres Power.”

Borne out of Imperial College in London, the SteelCell™ was the invention of lithium battery and fuel cell pioneer, Professor Brian Steele, and Ceres Power has been perfecting this unique technology for sixteen years. SteelCell™ can generate power from conventional fuels like natural gas and from sustainable fuels like biogas, ethanol or hydrogen and it does so at very high efficiency – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – making it an ideal technology to tackle air pollution and climate change.  

Engineering jobs at Ceres Power

If you work in the energy and transport sectors and believe that the future lies in combustion-free technologies, why not transfer your skills to low-emission, electrochemical technology?

If you would like to join a world-leading fuel-cell technology company, take a look at the current vacancies at Ceres Power.