The research project Desiree (Development of Enhanced SOEL Components for Improved Reliability and Endurance), launched in January 2026, aims to improve solid oxide electrolysis (SOEL) in terms of efficiency, durability, and cost-effectiveness. Twelve organizations from six European countries are working on it until June 2029. The total budget amounts to just under four million euros. The project is funded by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership and co-financed by the EU's Horizon Europe program.
40 kW Prototype with Thermochemical Hydrogen Compression to Increase Efficiency by 15 Percentage Points
The core goal is the construction and validation of a 40 kW multi-stack prototype system. This is to combine high-temperature electrolysis with thermochemical hydrogen compression. This could allow pressurized hydrogen to be generated directly—without additional electrical compression. The system is expected to achieve an efficiency of over 85 percent. According to the project, this would be a gain of more than 15 percentage points compared to current electrolysis technologies and a significant step towards reducing the cost of hydrogen production.
New Materials to Enhance Performance, Critical Raw Materials to Be Recycled
At the cell and stack level, the consortium is developing electrodes that are to be enhanced with nanoscale materials to increase electrochemical performance and reduce operating temperatures. New glass-ceramic sealing systems with improved thermal and chemical stability are intended to extend the lifespan of the stacks. Additionally, the project aims to establish recycling routes for critical raw materials such as nickel, cobalt, lanthanum, and strontium and incorporate the recovered materials into new components.
At the system level, Desiree relies on a modular and compartmentalized architecture. This is intended to increase operational flexibility, simplify maintenance, and improve thermal management. Waste heat recovery via special heat exchangers is to drive hydrogen compression. Advanced control strategies and power electronics are to enable stable operation in power grids with a high share of renewable energies.
The project is coordinated by the Spanish research center Cener. Participants include the French Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA), the company Genvia, the Fraunhofer Society with the Institute for Silicate Research (ISC) and the Center for High Temperature Materials and Design (HTL), the Politecnico di Torino, the Finnish VTT, as well as the companies Bosal and Eifhytec. "Desiree directly supports the goals of the European Green Deal, the Fit-for-55 package, and the Clean Hydrogen Partnership," says project coordinator Iñigo Garbayo, head of the hydrogen sector in the grid integration department at Cener.
