CENER

CENER is a technology centre specialised in applied research and the development and promotion of renewable energy technologies. Its mission is to support companies’ R&D&I activities through the provision of technological services and the implementation of R&D projects, contributing to the widespread deployment of renewable energy within the energy system.

The Hydrogen Area (HyGrIn Lab), part of CENER’s Grid Integration, Energy Storage and Hydrogen Department (IRE), focuses on the development of proprietary solid oxide hydrogen electrolysis technologies. Its activities cover several complementary areas: (i) manufacturing electroactive components and materials for SOEL and SOFC cells; (ii) design and manufacturing of stacks; (iii) development of the Balance of Plant (BoP) for complete systems; and (iv) integration of electrolysers and fuel cells with the electrical grid and renewable energy sources. These activities are supported by two cross-cutting capabilities focused on cell and stack testing and on the modelling of cells, stacks and complete systems.

The Hydrogen Area has capabilities for the development of SOEL/SOFC single cells and stacks, covering manufacturing—including ceramic ink development, layer deposition and sintering—as well as characterisation, with test facilities covering different power ranges up to 2 kW, and modelling using dedicated expertise and software. The 300 m² laboratory is equipped with a range of specialised facilities, including: (i) laboratory equipment such as furnaces, muffle furnaces and mixers for ceramic material synthesis and sintering and ceramic ink preparation; (ii) screen-printing equipment, a key technology for depositing ceramic electrodes and electrolytes; (iii) a roll-to-roll tape-casting system for the scale-up and pre-industrial production of cells; (iv) characterisation equipment including X-ray diffraction, optical profilometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM); (v) electrolysis system testing stations at different scales, ranging from small button cells (<5 W; Probostat) and complete cells and small stacks (<100 W; Fiaxell) to medium-sized stacks of up to 5 kW (Fuel Cell Materials, HORIBA and SOFCMAN); and (vi) high-performance computing facilities and dedicated software for the modelling of cells, stacks and complete systems, including CFD, Ansys Fluent and Aspen.

The department also operates the ATENEA microgrid, which integrates several renewable energy generation sources, including a 25 kWp photovoltaic installation and a 20 kW wind turbine, together with different energy storage technologies, such as 100 kWh of lead-acid batteries and 200 kWh of vanadium flow batteries. More recently, the microgrid has been expanded with a 70 kW alkaline electrolyser for converting renewable electricity into green hydrogen.

https://www.cener.com/