The Spanish Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC) has established a pilot line for the 3D printing of ceramic devices intended for renewable hydrogen production and use. The facility, named Merce Lab (Manufacturing Energy Ceramic Devices), allows the production of solid oxide cells (SOCs) for fuel cells and electrolyzers at a pre-industrial scale, representing a new approach in the field.
According to Marc Torrell, head of Merce Lab, “This facility positions us as pioneers in SOC technology manufacturing on a global scale. It represents a disruptive step in manufacturing processes and the performance of ceramic-based devices, opening the door to the development of new SOC systems for applications that could not previously meet the required specifications, such as maritime or air transport.”
Collaboration and Strategic Support
The development of the pilot line is part of the Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) Tecnopropia, led and co-financed by H2B2 and supported by Next Generation funds from the PRTR. Additional funding comes from ongoing IREC projects, including CLEANHYPRO, HYP3D, COMECOCO2, and H2SHIFT. IREC has also established collaborations with companies in the sector, including 3Dceram, AMES, Viver Clean Tech, AESA, Nano4Energy, and M-reformer, to support further development and commercialisation of SOC technologies.
IREC plans to create a spin-off, Oxhyd Energy, to facilitate the commercialisation of SOC fuel cells and support broader integration of hydrogen technologies.
Technology and Production Features
SOCs produced at Merce Lab operate both as fuel cells, generating electricity from hydrogen, and as electrolyzers, producing hydrogen for energy storage. The devices, based on ceramic materials and operating at high temperatures, offer higher efficiency compared with polymer-based cells, potentially reducing the energy required for hydrogen production by up to 25%.
The pilot line’s current manufacturing capacity is approximately 2 MW per year, and the process is scalable. The estimated production cost is around €800/kW, which could contribute to lower hydrogen costs below €4/kg. The devices are manufactured without critical raw materials such as cobalt, nickel, or rare earths.
The pilot line encompasses the full technology value chain, organized into five key stages: first, the preparation of inks as the foundational raw material; second, the fabrication of cells; third, the production of interconnectors; fourth, the assembly and stacking of components; and fifth, the testing and validation of the completed device to ensure quality and performance prior to deployment.
Other Innovations in 3D Printed SOCs
IREC’s pilot line aligns with a growing international effort to advance solid oxide cell technologies through 3D printing. At the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), researchers have developed lightweight, high-power SOCs optimized with a gyroid geometry—a triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS)—to maximize surface area while maintaining mechanical stability. Led by Professor Vincenzo Esposito (DTU Energy) and Senior Researcher Venkata Karthik Nadimpalli (DTU Construct), the team addressed longstanding barriers to fuel cell applications in aerospace and space exploration, drawing inspiration from natural structures like butterfly wings and engineering solutions such as heat exchangers.
Similarly, at Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech), researchers created a cost-effective approach for producing complex ceramic structures for SOFCs using micro-stereolithography with a standard office projector. By combining scandia-stabilized zirconia (6ScSZ) and yttria-stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) into hierarchical lattices, the team achieved designs unattainable with traditional methods, enhancing ionic conductivity—a critical factor in fuel cell efficiency. Green ceramic parts were fabricated through UV curing and consolidated via optimized burning and sintering, demonstrating a low-cost route to high-performance SOFC components.
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Featured image shows Merce Lab (Manufacturing Energy Ceramic Devices). Photo via IREC.
