TAIPEI, December 12, 2024 — Delta, a global leader in power management and a provider of IoT-based smart green solutions, inaugurated today Taiwan's 1st megawatt (MW)-grade R&D lab for water electrolysis hydrogen production and for fuel cells, the "Delta Net Zero Science Lab," at its Tainan Plant 2. This significant milestone provides a diverse testing environment for component and system validation of hydrogen production and fuel cell technologies. It also aims to foster materials from the local hydrogen energy supply chain, helping Taiwan align with global energy transition trends. The inauguration ceremony was graced by distinguished guests, including Minister of Environment Chi-Ming Peng, Deputy Minister of the National Development Council Fang-Guan Jan, as well as senior executives from China Steel Corporation, CPC Corporation, and Taiwan Power Company.
Ping Cheng, Delta’s Chairman and CEO, underscored, “Achieving net-zero carbon emissions has become a global consensus, and hydrogen energy provides a crucial path to that ultimate goal. Guided by its mission, ‘To provide innovative, clean, and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow,’ Delta has been dedicated to the development of next-generation green energy technologies for decades. Our new testing platform not only lays the foundation for Delta's R&D endeavors on hydrogen technology, but also advances the local hydrogen technology ecosystem. We look forward to contributing to Taiwan’s energy transition and enhancing its competitive edge in the global hydrogen energy market.
Dr. Charles Tsai, General Manager of Delta’s Hydrogen Energy Application New Business Development Department, noted, “The challenge of hydrogen energy adoption lies in how to effectively improve efficiency. To this end, Delta has focused on industry-leading solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technologies and has developed Taiwan's first SOEC/SOFC self-designed and produced stack performance testing facilities. This facility works in conjunction with the local supply chain, enabling validation and testing of various material categories, thereby laying a foundation for the localized production of key components and materials, ranging from hydrogen power generation and fuel cell stacks to system integration. By leveraging Delta’s expertise in energy infrastructure integration, we are committed to providing efficient and stable hydrogen energy solutions, with mass production in Taiwan expected by the end of 2026.”
Delta’s SOFC technology has already been applied in microgrid pilot projects, integrating renewable energy, energy storage, and power management systems to help clients establish low-carbon, high-efficiency distributed energy grids and energy management solutions. Additionally, the SOEC technology, combining industrial heat recovery to produce hydrogen gas from steam, can be applied to various industrial processes. This technology is suitable to support not only the steel industry’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions, but also traditional fossil fuel energy companies in producing carbon-neutral fuels.
The Delta Net Zero Science Lab is equipped with the power, natural gas, hydrogen, and high-temperature control environments required for diverse testing scenarios, along with essential safety equipment. It features comprehensive facilities, including stack testing module, system testing module, monitoring system, and gas supply module. The official inauguration of the lab symbolizes Delta's commitment to advancing hydrogen energy technology. Looking ahead, Delta will continue to drive innovation in hydrogen energy technologies and collaborate with industry, academia, and the authorities to foster the local hydrogen energy sector. This effort aims to contribute actively to mankind’s energy transition and the global goal of net-zero carbon emissions.
Delta Net Zero Science Lab Overview
The Delta Net Zero Science Lab can accommodate fuel cells powered by various fuels and MW-scale water electrolysis hydrogen production. It provides a verification site necessary for material localization, including stack testing module, thermal system testing, and performance validation, serving as a robust R&D support system for hydrogen energy solutions and localized supply chain integration. Key highlights include:
- Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC): A high efficiency and environmental-friendly energy generation device that directly transforms the chemical energy of fuels (such as hydrogen and natural gas) into electricity and heat through solid oxide fuel cell. Operating temperatures range from 500°C to 600°C, making it ideal for integrating waste heat recovery and improving energy utilization efficiency. SOFCs are renowned for their high efficiency, low emissions, and fuel flexibility, widely applied in microgrids, distributed energy supply, and high-efficiency power generation systems, serving as a critical technology for energy transition and carbon reduction.
- Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell (SOEC) Technology: A medium temperature electrolysis technology using solid oxides as electrolytes to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Operating at 500°C to 600°C, SOEC effectively utilizes external heat sources such as industrial recycle heat to reduce power demand and enhance hydrogen production efficiency. Compared to traditional electrolysis technologies, SOEC offers higher energy conversion efficiency, making it particularly suitable to integrate with industrial processes or energy systems in order to achieve low-cost, large-scale hydrogen production and accelerate green hydrogen development, a key driver to carbon neutrality goals.
- Stack Performance Testing Facilities: Independently established by Delta, this is Taiwan’s only self-designed and produced SOEC/SOFC stack performance testing facility. It meets the needs for local supply chain implementation, such as the validation and testing of various materials, cell and stack production, and more. As for production quality assurance, the testing facility also provides fast failure identification from different production batches.