Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
The Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking or Clean Hydrogen Partnership is a unique public-private partnership supporting research and innovation (R&I) activities in hydrogen technologies in Europe. It builds upon the success of its predecessor, the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
This topic aims at advancing AEL technology by improving performances and reducing costs.
AEL technology, despite the high maturity of the proposed market solutions, can be improved in order to keep the EU electrolyser industry at the forefront and to support the achievement of the EU performance and cost targets, widening the range of applications where renewable hydrogen produced by AEL could be deployed to support decarbonisation efforts. Anyway, improved performances and solutions will add margins to this target and a better satisfaction of the specific challenge.
The topic aims to facilitate the integration of innovative lab scale developments in the alkaline electrolysis technologies landscape into pilot industrial scale systems for their validation and further escalation into industrial MW scale systems.
Detailed Call Description
The project should explore some of the following innovations:
- New electrocatalysts and electrode materials for alkaline water electrolysis operating at high current density and high energy efficiency based on non-platinum group metals, and preferably on non-critical materials;
- Novel concepts of porous transport electrodes free of precious metal coatings with integrated micro-porous-layer and electrocatalysts;
- Explore new electrode production technologies for more efficient mass production (e.g., advanced electroplating, plasma spraying, physical vapor deposition), combined with development of electrocatalysts for alkaline water electrolysis;
- Improve the separators and/or (microporous) membranes, reaching higher ionic conductivities (enabling higher current densities), improved mechanical properties (enabling thinner membranes), lower gas cross-over (enabling operation at lower load points without safety issues);
- Realise the novel proposed AEL short stack at the scale of at least 10 kW, with a minimum cell area of 100 cm2 and at least 10 cells for the stack, validating in a laboratory environment the specific performance targets;
- Investigate the potential to increase the temperature to a higher operating window. Develop new alkaline electrolysis systems operating at high temperature, validated at small scales, to improve the operational temperature and energy efficiency (e.g., over 95°C and below 48 kWh/kg);
- Advanced thermal management to shorten start-up time from warm stand-by, (e.g., by intelligent heat storage or insulation schemes);
- Reduce the use of noble metals and critical raw materials, improving the life cycle assessment aspects;
- Moving a step forward with respect to testing procedures and standardised qualifying tests (e.g., considering results from Qualygrids project as well as referring to JRC standardised protocols).
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
EU contribution per project: € 2,500,000
Number of proposals: 1
Thematic Categories
- Energy
- Industry
- Regional Development
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Large Enterprises
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
Taking advantage of JRC EU harmonised protocols for testing of low temperature water electrolysis, it will help updating the standardised testing protocols representative of validating the expected outcomes.
Consortia are expected to build on the expertise from the EU research and industrial community to ensure broad impact by addressing several of the aforementioned items.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
EU Contact Point
Email: info@clean-hydrogen.europa.eu
Phone number: +32 22218148
Postal address: Avenue de la Toison d’Or 56-60, 1060 Brussels, Belgium
(Publish Date: 28/02/2023-for internal use only)