Cluster of projects

AEMELIA – Anionic Exchange Membrane water ELectrolysis for highLY efficiency sustAinable, and clean Hydrogen production

Accepts the challenge to design and prototype AEMEL that meets and surpasses Hydrogen Europe’s 2030 targets for performance, durability, safety and cost. AEMELIA proposes a clear path to reach high current-density (1.5 A cm-2) and low voltage (1.75 V). Energy-efficiency surpasses the 2030 target (46.9 kWh/kg, or 85% of maximum theoretical efficiency), to make 3 times more H2 with less energy compared to XY. LCOH also outshines 2030 targets at 2.5€/kgH2 (17% lower than 2030 target). The degradation rate meets the 2030 target, enabling a 10-year lifetime. These and other KPIs will be validated via the TRL4 prototype of a 5-cell stack at 100 cm² that will deliver 7.2 Nm3/day of H2 at a purity of 99.9% at 15 bar.

The team will develop and test disruptive materials, such as fluorine-free ionomers ; thin, highly-conducting membranes ; PGM-free recombination catalysts ; and ionomer-free electrodes. These components are based on earth-abundant, safe materials. They would be fully scalable via existing manufacturing processes. They will be combined in innovate cell designs, taking into account novel flow-field design based on CFD models. Innovative operating conditions such as high operating temperature and pulsed current will increase energy-efficiency while reducing balance of plant (BoP) and will be tested in single cells, as will the use of impure water for improved LCA and cost. Lastly, disruptive methods for AI-based ionomer development and the measurement of the catalytically-active surface area of non-PGM catalysts will be developed.

Performance, durability, LCA and cost KPIs will be shared with companies to convince them to invest in upscaling after the project. Partners have many success stories in developing disruptive electrochemical materials and systems and bringing them to market. AEMELIA’s market penetration in 2031 is expected to generate 527 M€ in revenues by 2036, and 1172 kt CO2/year avoided compared to steam methane reforming.

AEMELIA Project on CORDIS:
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101137912/es

AEMELIA Official Website:
https://aemelia.eu/

SEAL – HYDROGEN – Stable and Efficient Alkaline Water Electrolyzers With Zero Critical Raw Materials for Pure Hydrogen Production

The EU Hydrogen Strategy sets the goal of installing at least 40 GW of renewable H2 electrolysers by 2030, which imposes significant challenges for water-electrolysis technology. Although current zero-gap alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) has potential for cost-effectiveness and scalability, it needs further optimization in activity, stability, and gas crossover to increase efficiency and system lifetime.
This project will develop a new class of AWE combining proven benefits of classic systems with cutting-edge innovations in materials science, catalyst design, and process engineering. Driven by an industrial-feasibility vision, a system that is both technically advanced and economically viable for large-scale commercial deployment is pursued. The proposed innovations include highly efficient and earth-abundant two-dimensional layered double hydroxides (LDH) obtained through a starightforward synthetic route, offering a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to noble metal-based catalysts. An innovative technology for up-scaling the production of LDH layers by direct growth of catalysts in porous transport electrodes will be implemented and explored on commercial separators. The interplay between the substrate, catalyst, and separator will be thoroughly optimized through the development of triple-phase boundary electrodes (catalyst-support-ionomer) structures with improved thermo-mechanical stability. A reliable method based on Raman spectroscopy, will be developed for the precise determination of electrode stability, offering an appropriate quality control of great interest both in research and industry. The optimal design will be assembled and tested, first in single cells of 5 cm, then in 25 cm, and finally scaled to a 6-cell stack of 300 cm, to demonstrate a next generation technology with improved performance, stability and durability, aimed to accelerate the commercial uptake of water electrolysis and turn green H2 into an economically viable solution.

SEAL-HYDROGEEN Project on CORDIS:
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101137915

SEAL-HYDROGEEN Official Website:
https://seal-hydrogen.eu/

EXSOTHyC – Exsolution-Based Nanoparticles for Lowest Cost of Green Hydrogen via Electrolysis

Today’s alkaline electrolysers favour current densities over efficiency: to achieve commercially relevant current densities, these systems typically operate at voltages exceeding 2 V/cell, corresponding to electrolyser power consumption of >54 kWh/kg. There are four reasons for employing high voltages: 1) electrodes’ insufficient electrochemical activity, 2) the relatively high gas permeability of commonly employed diaphragms means that improved hydrogen purity can be achieved at high current operation points, 3) the stack designs are not optimised for low-current operation due to very simple flow fields, and 4) high currents are required to achieve attractive electrolyser CAPEX costs (EUR/kW).
Yet, there is a growing consensus that the wider adoption of green H2 is not hindered by electrolyser CAPEX: the costs of green H2 are in most cases vastly dominated by OPEX, which in turn is a direct function of electrolyser efficiency. Thus, to achieve lowest possible levelised cost of H2, efficiency should be prioritised over current density.

EXSOTHyC will optimise electrolyser operation towards lower voltages and higher efficiencies. The innovation is three-fold and addressing all four above-mentioned reasons:
• Alternative pathways to the O2 and H2 evolution reactions by new anode and cathode approaches
• Novel concepts of membrane electrode assemblies with integrated components
• Novel cell design to enhance overall cell efficiency by integrating disruptive concepts

In the project, we adopt an approach combining computer simulations, rapid prototyping, and thorough experimental validation on single cell, SRU and short stack level. In a nutshell, we will combine electrodes made using powder metallurgy with ceramic nanoparticles fabricated by exsolution, leveraging on the synergy that both methods require reducing atmospheres. Also, membrane-electrode assemblies based on Zirfon will be developed. The cell/stack will be backed by computer modelling.

EXSOTHyC Project on CORDIS:
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101137604

EXSOTHyC Official Website:
https://exsothyc.com/

REDHY – Reimagining water electrolysis

The REDHy method is uniting academic and industrial entities across a broad spectrum of expertise. Unlike SoA electrolysers, REDHy is entirely free of critical raw materials and doesn’t require fluorinated membranes or ionomers, while maintaining the potential to fulfil a substantial portion of the 2024 KPIs. In accordance with Europe’s circular-economy action plan, a 5-cellstack with an active surface area exceeding 100 cm2 and a nominal power of 1.5 kW will be developed, capable of managing a vast dynamic range of operational capacities with economically viable and stable stack components. These endeavours will guarantee lasting and efficient performance at elevated current densities (1.5 A cm-2 at Ecell 1.8 V/cell) at low temperatures (60 °C) and suitable hydrogen output pressures (15 bar). The project will produce and validate a prototype in a laboratory setting for 1200 hours at a maximum degradation of 0.1%/1000 hours and achieve TRL4 (technology validated in the lab).

REDHY Project on CORDIS:
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101137893

REDHY Official Website:
https://redhy.eu/