What to know about SolydEra
Mission
SolydEra will become the N° 1 European Solid Oxide stack and stack module supplier for power generation and electrolysis, selling standardized stacks and sub-systems into both markets and contributing as core technology provider to major decarbonizing solutions. The company’s USP consists of stack efficiency, cost leadership and core system knowhow in the wide power range required by the energy market.
SolydEra is an integrated group of international teams and subsidiaries, leading in the field of solide oxide technologies and manufacturing. The headquarters is in Pergine, Trentino Alto Adige, Italy.
The history
The first fuel cell production facility was established in 2008 in Mezzolombardo, Italy. The first micro-CHP system (combined heat and power) tested successfully in 2009. In the subsequent years, as part of EU’s fuel cell programme, systems were delivered to energy industry companies.
In 2013, with the entrance of international investors, the plant in Mezzolombardo was extended and the company name changed to SOLIDpower, S.p.A. In the following year, German CFC Ceramic Fuel Cells GmbH, producer of the BlueGEN SOFC system, was acquired. With this, Germany was added as a production, distribution, and service location. The technology and the production in Heinsberg were completely overhauled with SOLIDpower’s know-how.
Most advanced capabilities
In parallel, a new production facility and headquarters close to Mezzolombardo was established in Pergine Valsugana, Italy. There, Europe’s largest (6400sqm) and most modern fuel cell stack production is running. From 2016 onwards, high numbers of SOFC systems were installed at customers across Europe.
SolydEra possesses valuable IP (intellectual property) comprising its core technology. Eleven patent families are being owned in 34 key jurisdictions.
Presently, SolydEra is operating two subsidiary companies in Switzerland and Australia, and two production plants in Pergine and Mezzolombardo, both in Italy.
The customers and partners consist of international sub-systems integrators, industrial and commercial users both for power applications and hydrogen applications.
More than 3000 stacks are running in 22 countries having surpassed 70 million hours of operation, while recently, orders and project requests are steeply increasing.
Driving progress in the new energy era
The highly automated manufacturing covers all critical components, testing, and assembly. The production capacity amounts to 1 million cells per year, corresponding to 60 stacks per day, as the current industry record. Another world record of SolydEra’s is the 97% stack efficiency in electrolysis mode.
In 2022, as part of the implementation of the new strategy under new CEO Martin Füllenbach, the company name was changed to SolydEra, for reasons of risk of confusion with a US battery company and better expression of the mission and activity.
The brand name reflects that SolydEra is in the middle of a big, highly dynamic development in the global energy sector that is leading into a new era of energy provision. The basis is the advanced fuel cell technology and its capacity of hydrogen production SolydEra has at its disposal.
The motto “We stack it” signals SolydEra’s ability to develop highly efficient, cutting-edge, innovative, and practical solutions, whatever the customer demand and requested outcome/application of the fuel cell technology is.