Bloom Energy secured an agreement with chip substrate and printed circuit board maker, Unimicron to deploy up to 10MW of fuel cells at Unimicron plants in Taiwan, according to a press release.
“Bloom’s superior energy technology capabilities are attractive to companies that need reliable power,” said Tim Schweikert, senior managing director, international business development, Bloom Energy. “That is particularly true of semiconductor fabs, which must meet a global demand for their products that shows no signs of abating. Bloom’s fuel-flexible platform can fill Unimicron’s needs today, with fuels that are available now, and they can transition to renewable fuels and hydrogen as those sources become more widely available.”
Scheduled to roll out in 2023, the installations will bring Bloom Energy’s solid oxide fuel-cell based Energy Server deployments to four Asian countries. The new additions are estimated to be completed by 2026.
Manufacturing companies specializing in semiconductors and PCBs require reliable, high-quality electricity to keep their operations running efficiently. Bloom Energy's Energy Server, capable of generating electricity from various fuels without burning them, is committed to helping Taiwan reach its decarbonization goals. The system will also help minimize electricity costs and provide flexible term lengths.
“Bloom’s energy platform can be configured to create a microgrid that can operate alongside an electricity grid, or independently of it,” a recent press release states. “When powered by a fuel source with an underground pipeline system, such as natural gas, they are less susceptible to the impacts of extreme weather, enabling safe, continuous operation and avoiding the costly consequences of unplanned downtime.”
The deal follows Bloom’s recent multi-gigawatt manufacturing plant launch in Fremont, California in July 2022, made to better fulfill the growing demand for its systems. Spanning 164,000 square feet, the addition “followed the opening of a new research center and a global hydrogen development facility in Fremont, which added 524,000 square feet to Bloom’s catalog.