As the world continues its efforts to reduce carbon emissions, the need for scalable, efficient carbon capture solutions is critical. The International Energy Agency (IEA) cites carbon capture and storage as one of the critical technologies required to achieve net-zero emissions.
FuelCell Energy and ExxonMobil have jointly developed a breakthrough technology that has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions from key industries. It is a carbonate fuel cell (CFC) that not only captures CO2 emissions from industrial sources like furnaces before they're released into the atmosphere but also makes valuable products -- like lower carbon intensity (CI) power, heat and hydrogen -- at the same time. This makes CFCs a potentially cost-effective and efficient solution for decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries.
Lab-tested results show over 90% capture efficiency—and we’re preparing to demonstrate the technology live in 2026 via a pilot project in the Netherlands, at the ExxonMobil Rotterdam integrated manufacturing site. This will be the first industrial demonstration of CFC technology for carbon capture—capturing emissions directly from the source at a reasonable scale.
The Rotterdam site will showcase next-gen carbon capture using live flue gas under real-world conditions. Backed by EU
and Dutch government funding, FuelCell Energy and ExxonMobil are demonstrating that public-private partnerships can advance industrial-scale carbon capture. The project will assess the technology's lifespan and robustness to typical operational fluctuations.
If successful, ExxonMobil could also deploy this technology at its other manufacturing sites around the world. Additionally, Fuel Cell Energy and ExxonMobil could commercialize this technology to help third party customers reduce their emissions.
This technology answers the growing demand for scalable, affordable carbon capture—and continues FuelCell Energy’s 50-year legacy of pioneering clean energy solutions. But the collaboration with ExxonMobil is not just another project—it’s a blueprint for the future. By combining innovation, scale, and strategic partnerships, FuelCell Energy and ExxonMobil are showing how innovation can lead to disruptive breakthroughs that make the world better. Together, we are not only proving what’s possible—we are building what’s next.