A novel design, alternative to the conventional electrolyte-supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is presented. In this new design, a honeycomb-electrolyte is fabricated from hexagonal cells, providing high mechanical strength to the whole structure and supporting the thin layer used as electrolyte of a SOFC. This new design allows a reduction of similar to 70% of the electrolyte material and it renders modest performances over 320 mW cm(-2) but high volumetric power densities, i.e. 1.22 W cm(-3) under pure CH4 at 900 degrees C, with a high OCV of 1.13 V, using the standard Ni-YSZ cermet as anode, Pt as cathode material and air as the oxidant gas. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.