Samsung Heavy, Morimura Set SOFC Development Through 2028

By Amara Osei

Samsung Heavy Industries (010140.KS) and Japan's Morimura SOFC Technology will conduct joint research and development of solid oxide fuel cell, or SOFC, systems through 2028, following a memorandum of understanding signed Nov. 9.

The agreement sets a goal of developing and commercializing next-generation clean-power systems for ships and data centers. Work will center on Samsung Heavy's Pangyo R&D Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Kim Kyung-hee, executive vice president and head of Samsung Heavy's future business division, attended the ceremony with Morimura President Yoshikuni Sato.

What did the Nov. 9 agreement cover?

Under the memorandum, the companies will conduct joint research and development through 2028 on SOFC systems for ships and data centers. Their agreement combines Morimura's cell and stack supply with Samsung Heavy's engineering, system integration and commercialization work.

• Samsung Heavy: Engineering, system integration and commercialization of large-capacity SOFC products.
• Morimura: Supply of the cells and stacks that make up the fuel-cell systems.

Kim Kyung-hee said: "Based on Samsung Heavy Industries' network in the shipbuilding and offshore sector and Morimura's technological expertise, the two companies will cooperate closely to open up new markets."

Morimura will supply the core cell components, while Samsung Heavy will engineer, integrate and commercialize the large-capacity products.

How does an SOFC system work?

An SOFC is a power-generation device that produces electricity through a chemical reaction between oxygen and fuels such as hydrogen or liquefied natural gas. It uses a ceramic solid electrolyte.

The system contains three component groups:

• Cells are the smallest units that generate electricity.
• Stacks are power modules that layer multiple cells to raise voltage and output.
• Additional components include fuel-supply equipment and thermal-management facilities.

That structure separates electrical generation from the equipment needed to supply fuel and manage heat. Morimura's supply role covers cells and stacks, while Samsung Heavy's engineering and integration role covers the assembled large-capacity system.

SOFC systems can reduce carbon emissions compared with engines, the traditional power-generation equipment, and offer higher generation efficiency. The project also addresses two demands in the global clean-energy market: lowering carbon emissions while securing a stable power supply.

For ships, SOFCs can use existing fuels such as LNG while reducing emissions and offering higher efficiency than conventional engines.

Why is Samsung Heavy targeting commercial ships?

Samsung Heavy plans to pursue SOFC applications in commercial shipbuilding in response to carbon-emission regulations. The company also intends to develop next-generation unmanned, autonomous electric vessels, with SOFCs serving as potential shipboard power sources.

Using an SOFC as a ship's power source would allow remote diagnosis and maintenance from shore. That capability would enable an unmanned maintenance system, extending the autonomous-vessel development program to onboard equipment support.

The technology is also easier to apply to ships because it can run on existing fuels such as LNG. This combination of fuel compatibility, emissions reduction and remote maintenance gives the marine application three stated technical drivers.

Commercial shipbuilding provides the carbon-regulation use case, while remote maintenance supports Samsung Heavy's autonomous-vessel roadmap.

What role can data centers play?

Samsung Heavy expects business synergies from rapid power supply. The company plans to apply SOFC systems more broadly across its products, including floating data centers, for which it is seeking orders as a new offering.

The data-center track broadens the project's product set without changing the announced division of work. Morimura supplies cells and stacks, and Samsung Heavy handles engineering, integration and commercialization of the resulting large-capacity systems.

The agreement therefore names two deployment arenas for the program running through 2028: ships, where emissions compliance and autonomous operations drive development, and data centers, where Samsung Heavy is pursuing floating deployments and new orders.

The 2028 program links ship decarbonization with Samsung Heavy's new floating-data-center offering.