Named Desiree, the project will design and build a 40kW multi-stack prototype system to address durability, efficiency, and circularity issues related to SOECs.

The €4m ($4.6m) Horizon Europe co-funded initiative is set to run through June 2029 and will involve 12 organisations from across Europe, including the Spanish National Research Council, the University of Zaragoza, and the Polytechnic University of Turin.

Its prototype system will aim to develop advanced nanoscale materials to reduce the operating temperature of SOEC systems, typically upward of 700 °C, which could reduce susceptibility to component degradation, improving reliability and longevity.

Additionally, the initiative will establish recycling routes for critical raw materials, potentially repurposing them as new components.

Iñigo Garbayo, Manager of the Hydrogen Area at Cener’s Grid Integration Department, said the Desiree program “directly supports” EU decarbonisation goals.

SOEC, while nascent, is seen as particularly attractive for e-fuel production due to its ability to use external waste heat from industrial applications to boost efficiency,

Despite issues including durability, thermal cycling, and a limited commercial track record presenting bottlenecks for its use, firms are increasingly paying attention to SOEC’s potential.

A Spanish 57,000 tonne-per-year e-methanol project commissioned Topsoe for a 55MW SOEC system in October 2025, and sustainable aviation fuel company Syntholene recently selected Dynoelectro’s SOEC electrolyser for its Icelandic pilot project.