Stereolithography of Zirconia 8Y : an Innovative Solution to Increase Clean Hydrogen Productivity

Tuesday, 12 May 2026

The EU has set different climate objectives to reach by 2030 and 2050 in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but these come with the typical challenges associated with renewable energies, and so there are different possible solutions to work on. 
The solution we are looking at today is Hydrogen production by electrolysis. Through a European collaborative program called Hyp3D, connecting partners from Spain, Italy, Denmark, and 3DCeram in France, standards of hydrogen production are being improved with pressurised 3D printed Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (SOEC) stacks. 
The challenges that come from this technology lie in 3 main domains : production, storage, and supply chain. Here, the program is focusing on improving the clean production of hydrogen. Currently, the electrode supported cells are flat in shape, produced by traditional shaping methods, and the metallic interconnects are voluminous and complex in shape. 3D printing with SLA technology is giving the possibility to print thin corrugated ceramic cells in 8YSZ, increasing the surface area by 60% which in turn enhances the performance of the cells. It’s also enabling the cells to have more functionality, reducing the size of the interconnects and therefore the stack as a whole. 

This is another example of how 3D printing is bringing to life more disruptive designs, helping to enhance system performances, and creating new avenues to explore in research and development. However, the transition from laboratory to industry is critical in achieving the objectives laid out by the EU, and the work put in by the partners is opening up the project to large-scale production, helped with AI and automation.