Current market status of solid oxide hydrogen technology: From starting materials to system level

The transition to net-zero emissions has intensified the demand for green hydrogen to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors. Solid oxide cell technology (SOC), operated at high temperature (650–800 °C), offers high efficiency and reversible operation, enabling both hydrogen production and power generation. SOC is based on ceramic cells assembled into stacks, integrated with balance-of-plant components to obtain fully operational systems. While several demonstrators of hundreds of kW and technology readiness level 7–8 prove feasibility, commercialization remains still incipient. This review analyzes the main properties and commercially available SOC elements starting from cell components (starting materials) to cells (available configurations), stacks (stack auxiliaries and commercial options) and system architecture (including different applications and scales). Key challenges are discussed alongside emerging solutions to accelerate deployment. The expanding network of suppliers demonstrates market opportunities, but further development is still needed to mature supply chains and standardize large-scale implementation.