Elcogen welcomed European Commission Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera to its solid oxide fuel cell manufacturing facility near Tallinn, Estonia, on Monday June 8, 2026. Hosted by Elcogen Founder and CEO, Enn Õunpuu, Ribera toured the manufacturing facility, which opened in September 2025 and is among Europe’s most advanced production sites for solid oxide fuel cell and electrolysis technologies.
As Executive Vice President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, Ribera leads the European Commission’s work to accelerate Europe’s decarbonisation while strengthening industrial competitiveness, energy security and the deployment of clean technologies across the continent. Her portfolio focuses on aligning climate objectives with economic resilience and scaling strategic clean energy industries.
The visit comes as the European Union’s Green Deal and competitiveness agenda converge with an increasingly urgent constraint in the form of limited grid capacity. As electrification accelerates and demand increases from industry, data centres and clean manufacturing, Europe faces growing pressure to deliver reliable, affordable and low-carbon energy without overloading existing grid infrastructure.
Discussions between Ribera and Õunpuu focused on the role solid oxide fuel cell technology can play in addressing these challenges. Designed to deliver highly efficient, low- to zero- carbon baseload power, solid oxide fuel cell-based systems can integrate with renewable energy sources, energy storage solutions and grid services, supporting more flexible and resilient energy systems.
The visit provided an opportunity to exchange views on how European innovation and advanced manufacturing can support the European Union’s objectives for competitiveness, energy resilience and climate neutrality. Ribera and Õunpuu also discussed the importance of ensuring that sufficient public and private funding is available to help scale up strategic clean technologies and strengthen Europe’s industrial base.
“If Europe is serious about building a competitive hydrogen economy, it must also invest in the technologies that make it possible. Today, much of the global manufacturing capacity for key hydrogen technologies is located outside Europe. By supporting home-grown innovation and scaling European production, the EU can strengthen its energy security, create industrial value within Europe, and reduce strategic dependencies while accelerating the clean transition,” shares Enn Õunpuu, Founder and CEO of Elcogen.
Image credits: Andres Tarto
Elcogen Contact: Laura Quinton, Communications Manager,
laura.quinton@elcogen.com, +358 (0)456163133
About Elcogen
Elcogen develops and supplies a proprietary solid oxide technology platform that operates in both fuel cell (SOFC) and electrolysis (SOEC) modes, enabling affordable green hydrogen production and zero-emission power generation to drive the clean energy transition. Founded in 2001, the company has its registered office in the UK, its main headquarters in Tallinn, Estonia, and R&D centres of excellence in both Estonia and Finland. Serving a growing global customer base, Elcogen’s cells, stacks, and modules are integrated into third-party systems across sectors where decarbonisation is essential, including steel, fuels, shipping and energy infrastructure. Application-agnostic by design, Elcogen’s technology delivers exceptional efficiency, flexibility and reliability, unlocking the full potential of renewable energy. Together with its partners, Elcogen is enabling a wider ecosystem of developers to advance the global shift to net zero, bridging today’s energy landscape with a sustainable future.
Photos: Andres Tarto
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