South Korea Article this week18 Sep 2025 09:30
Financial News] Doosan Fuel Cell to Apply Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) to Domestic Site for the First Time
Doosan Fuel Cell will be applying solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) to a domestic site for the first time, with an initial supply of 9MW scheduled for November. Doosan Fuel Cell is a subsidiary of Doosan Enerbility, which, as of the end of the first half of this year, holds a 30.33% stake in Doosan Fuel Cell, including preferred shares.
According to industry sources on the 15th, Doosan Fuel Cell signed a technology agreement with the UK-based Ceres Power in November 2023 and has been developing mass production technology for cell stacks, the core component of power-generating SOFCs. The initial SOFC supply is expected to be delivered to the Hi-Changwon Fuel Cell Project this November. This move is seen as a direct challenge to Bloom Energy, which currently dominates markets such as data centers, hospitals, and manufacturing.
Previously, Doosan Fuel Cell signed a long-term service agreement (LTSA) worth 73 billion KRW with Hi-Changwon Fuel Cell. The agreement, which runs until September 4, 2036, covers maintenance and service for a 39.8MW fuel cell power plant (100 fuel cell units) for 10 years.
In December 2023, Doosan Enerbility also signed a 194.6 billion KRW fuel cell power generation project contract with Hi-Changwon Fuel Cell. The project will include 70 units of phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC) totaling 30.8MW and 30 units of SOFC totaling 9.0MW. The total project cost is 234.9 billion KRW.
Bloom Energy’s SOFC uses solid oxide as an electrolyte and operates at high temperatures of 700–1000°C. In comparison, Doosan Fuel Cell’s SOFC operates at temperatures about 200°C lower, allowing for the use of cheaper materials and faster startup times.
To support SOFC production, Doosan Fuel Cell began construction of a new plant in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, in 2022, which has now been completed and entered mass production. The products are aimed at data centers, renewable energy-based power grids, peak load power generation, building-based power systems, and auxiliary power solutions for marine transport. In March, Doosan Fuel Cell’s SOFC cell stack for marine use became the first in the world to pass environmental testing by DNV, one of the world’s top three classification societies.
SOFCs are known for their high power generation efficiency and wide application range, but as the products are still in the early stages of mass production, operational stabilization will take time. The industry expects that while SOFCs could become a long-term growth driver, fixed cost burdens will remain for the time being.
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