LEATEC Promotion for SOFC Industry Development

Date of Announcement: 2016/08/02

Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Atomic Energy Council and LEATEC (6127) organized the “SOFC Solid Oxide Fuel Cell - Cell Stack Technology” licensing contract signing ceremony previously (July 20) and completed the last puzzle of the domestic SOFC power generation industrial chain, in order to promote the link and construction of the domestic SOFC industrial chain and industrial cluster, thereby opening new opportunities for the SOFC industry development in Taiwan.

The energy national technology project executed by the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research focuses on the research and development of SOFC solid oxide fuel cell power generation system technology and has developed essential core technologies, in order to complete the establishment of the technical dynamics from powder to power generation system. The research outcome has been widely recognized by the industry. In recent years, technology transfer of SOFC related battery cell, cell stack and power generation system technologies have been implemented consecutively, thereby assisting the domestic industry to construct 2~5KW level of SOFC power generation system supply energy.

Cell stack is the core of SOFC power generation system, and it is essential to the success of such system. In 2007, the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research successfully constructed a set of kW level of cell pack, and it has continued to perform improvement of relevant technologies, including: cell stack design, high-temperature packaging material, packaging procedure, long-term test, and material performance test and analysis. In addition, through the power generation system integration test, the performance of the cell pack has been verified to achieve the advanced country level.

LEATEC is a professional manufacturer in precision ceramic materials, and is optimistic about the SOFC technology development potential and niche market. In 2014, the Company engaged in the technology transfer of the cell unit technology of the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, and presently, the battery cell has reached the international commercialization standard. To increase the product demand and niche, LEATEC further performs downward integration of the SOFC cell pack component development and application. After the completion of the technology transfer of SOFC cell stack technology with the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, LEATEC plans to implement automated production line in 1~2 years, in order to collaborate with the business operators in Taiwan to construct local and self-managed competitive KW level of SOFC cell power generation system.

SOFC is the system of the highest conversion efficiency among the present various petrochemical energy conversion power energy system. This is a green energy industrial technology with the characteristics of low pollution, low emission, fuel diversity, high electrical energy conversion rate and low noise, such that it is considered as the “low-carbon energy” technology for the next generation of energy.

While facing the situation where SOFC power generation technology and application are presently led by European countries, the U.S. and Japan, business operators in Taiwan have developed the SOFC power generation component mass production capability over past years, and are aiming to collaborate with the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research to perform downward integration of the cell stack and system, such that the future growth of domestic SOFC power generation industry in a short term is optimistic. During such critical timing for the SOFC power generation system commercialization, business operators look forward to government’s great support with the provision of greater national resources, in order to assist Taiwan to establish a whole new distributed green energy power generation industry in a global scale, and such development will also mitigate the increasing power shortage issue in Taiwan. (Commercial Times)