United States – Baker Hughes and Bloom Energy will collaborate on the potential commercialization and deployment of integrated, low carbon power-generation and hydrogen solutions to advance the energy transition.
The companies plan to launch pilot projects over the next 2-3 years and fully commercializing and scaling applications, products and solutions shortly thereafter. The companies will focus efforts in three areas.
Integrated power solutions
By leveraging Bloom Energy’s solid oxide fuel cell technology (SOFC) and Baker Hughes’ light-weight gas turbine technology, the companies intend to provide efficient, resilient, and cost-effective solutions for cleaner energy generation, waste heat recovery, and grid independent power for customers. Bloom Energy’s efficient and low emissions SOFCs, Baker Hughes’ efficient and flexible NovaLT gas turbines – which can run on up to 100% hydrogen – along with heat recovery turbines can create resilient microgrids ideal for large-scale applications.
Integrated hydrogen solutions
The companies will explore opportunities to pair Bloom Energy’s solid oxide electrolyzer cells (SOEC) that can produce 100% clean hydrogen with Baker Hughes’ compression technology for efficient production, compression, transport, and delivery of hydrogen. Waste heat utilization for steam generation will also be assessed to further increase efficiency and cost effectiveness of hydrogen production. The companies will target applications such as blending hydrogen into natural gas pipelines, as well as on-site hydrogen production for industrial use. These efforts are geared toward accelerating the transition to the hydrogen economy.
Bloom Energy’s SOEC technology coupled with Baker Hughes’ compression technology could facilitate faster adoption of hydrogen in process industries such as steel refining, where the use of heat recovery from the steel-making process could deliver higher overall system efficiencies and customer value.
Mutual technical collaborations
The companies will assess opportunities to leverage Baker Hughes’ broad technology portfolio and Bloom Energy’s SOFC and SOEC solutions. In addition to hydrogen and clean power, areas of collaboration may include carbon capture and emissions monitoring technologies, digital solutions, and additive manufacturing capabilities.
