Doosan Fuel Cell Executive Vice President Yoon Jae-dong (left) and Liberion CEO Stefan Hermann pose for a photo after signing the supply contract. [Doosan]
Doosan Fuel Cell Executive Vice President Yoon Jae-dong (left) and Liberion CEO Stefan Hermann pose for a photo after signing the supply contract. [Doosan]

Doosan Fuel Cell has completed its first export of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stacks, a core component of SOFC systems.

The company announced Wednesday it had signed a supply contract with German energy firm Liberion worth about 108.7 billion won ($76.1 million) — the largest overseas export deal in its history. The contract equals roughly 23.9 percent of the company's consolidated sales at the end of last year. Liberion had previously adopted Doosan Fuel Cell's SOFC stacks and completed its own performance verification.

The stacks are to be delivered in stages through the second half of next year. Liberion's next-generation fuel cell systems, equipped with Doosan Fuel Cell's SOFC stacks, will supply eco-friendly power generation facilities in Germany and across Europe.

The product is a medium-to-low-temperature SOFC stack commercialized through a technology partnership with UK-based Ceres Power. Unlike conventional SOFC systems that operate above 800 degrees Celsius, this stack runs at around 620 degrees Celsius, achieving both high power efficiency and durability. The lower operating temperature also broadens the range of usable materials and helps extend component lifespan.

Doosan Fuel Cell is currently in talks with potential customers at home and abroad on additional SOFC stack sales. The company expects stack exports to grow over the medium to long term.

"This SOFC stack export is significant in that our core-component foundry business has produced tangible results in overseas markets," said Yoon Jae-dong, executive vice president at Doosan Fuel Cell. "We will use this as a springboard to accelerate our efforts to secure global customers, including in North America and Europe."

Liberion CEO Stefan Hermann said the medium-to-low-temperature SOFC technology is central to the company's high-efficiency fuel cell systems, which have entered mass production and have already been validated for deployment across multiple sites. "We expect the adoption of highly efficient on-site power generation equipment in the European market to accelerate further," he added.

Meanwhile, Doosan Fuel Cell is also pursuing entry into the North American market with its hydrogen fuel cells. Earlier this year, its phosphoric acid fuel cell received technology and quality verification from a global big-tech company.


yeongdai@heraldcorp.com