The REDHy project tackles the limitations of contemporary electrolyser technologies by fundamentally reimagining water electrolysis, allowing it to surpass the drawbacks of state-of-the-art (SoA) electrolysers and become a pivotal technology in the hydrogen economy. The REDHy approach is highly adaptable, enduring, environmentally friendly, intrinsically secure, and cost-efficient, enabling the production of economically viable green hydrogen at considerably increased current densities compared to SoA electrolysers. The REDHy method is based on the findings of numerous EU-funded initiatives and patented by the DLR (TRL2). It 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-cell stack 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's ultimate objective is to create a prototype, validate it in a laboratory setting for 1200 hours at a maximum degradation of 0.1%/1000 hours and achieve TRL4. This final phase will emphasize the potential of the REDHy approach and its crucial role in the upcoming hydrogen economy, secure subsequent investments, and showcase the necessity for ground-breaking, innovative thinking to reach climate objectives in a timely fashion.

ECO2Fuel aims to design, manufacture, operate, and validate the worldwide first low-temperature 1MW direct, electrochemical CO2 conversion system to produce economic and sustainable liquid e-fuels (C1-C4 alcohols) under industrially relevant conditions (TRL7). This will be achieved by the direct electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 using water and renewable electricity without hydrogen at temperatures and pressures below 80?C and 15 bar, respectively. Due to its compatibility to dynamic loads, the ECO2Fuel system allows the efficient and direct coupling to renewable energy sources (RES) or facilitating grid-balancing service. The ECO2Fuel system is based on a genuinely unique CO2 co-electrolysis technology developed under the Horizon 2020 project LOTER.CO2M. This system will be optimized to produce efficiently and selectively C1-C4 alcohols and upscaled from 5kW with an unpretentious approach to a size of 1MW within the ECO2Fuel project. The produced e-fuels will be evaluated as green alternative feedstock in two of Europe?s CO2 emission heavy sectors, transport and energy.

The PROMISERS project goal lies in the advancement of new non per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) components for PEMFCs and PEMELs utilizing materials based on hydrocarbons and cellulose. The project will achieve this objective by focusing on developing multiple disruptive approaches for ionomers, membranes, electrode inks and MEAs which are free of PFAS. The project is aligned with sustainability principles, with no projected environmental barriers. Sustainable-by-design approaches and non-harmful materials will be targeted to ensure the environmental compatibility. Besides sustainability and zero pollution for the material fabrication also aspects such as safe-by-design, scalability and processing routes will be taken in account. PROMISERS represents a powerhouse consortium, including four major multinational companies: Syensqo (SOF, Chemicals and Polymers), Fumatech (innovative membranes for energy applications), Industrie De Nora (electrochemical industry) and RINA Consulting, two SMEs: Cellfion (sustainable membrane solutions) and Hysytech (engineering), two international research and technology organisations: Leitat, TNO, and an European university: IIT. PROMISERS will deliver and validate short stacks of PEMFC and PEMEL, targeting performances of > 1.5 Wcm-2 at 0.65 V for PEMFC and 3.0 Acm-2 at 1.8 V for PEMEL and with a degradation rate < 5 V/hr. A techno-economic evaluation and exploitation plan will be executed to move from the technological concept (TRL2) to a laboratory scale multicell-stack (TRL4) PEMFC and PEMEL to ensure a fast-track for its commercialisation.

This proposal will develop enhanced electrolysis devices enabling CO2 to be converted into high value chemicals. Specifically this project will improve selectivity, efficiency and durability of electrochemical CO2 conversion into either carbon monoxide, ethanol or ethylene. The immediate focus will be on the highly economically attractive chemicals industry, with the long term goal of using this as a stepping stone towards the fuels industry. New catalysts, gas diffusion layers, and membranes will all be developed to improve performance in commercially scalable type devices. Single site catalyst will be used to create high selectivity towards carbon monoxide production, whereas a dual catalyst approach will be used to produce ethanol. Variations in morphology and surface structuring will be the key to eliminating side reaction in ethylene production The greatest novelty of this project will be to use modifications in the reaction environment to effect reaction selectivity. The hydrophobicity and pore size will be varied in the gas diffusion layer and anion exchange membranes and ionomers will be developed to improve performance. The entire device will be comprehensively modeled from the quantum regime all the way to the complete device to relate macroscopic changes with catalytic improvements. Developments in both improved catalysts as well as optimization of reaction environment will allow for high CO2 conversion selectivity, (CO 90%, ethanol 80%, ethylene 90%) at high energy efficiencies (> 40%) and at high rates (> 200 mA/cm2). A life cycle analysis will focus on electrical power and CO2 inputs as well as the specific products to discover the most effective market opportunities for this technology moving forward. In addition social acceptance issues will be investigated to ensure this technology is developed in a manner that optimizes this aspect as well.

CLEANHYPRO gathers some of the most recognised experts in Europe on the electrolysis field for clean hydrogen production and acknowledged facilitators of technology transfer, corporate finance, funding and coaching, making available (i) the most promising and breakthrough manufacturing pilots and (ii) advanced characterization techniques and modelling together with (iii) non-technical services through this Test Bed: while relevant improvement metrics can be defined, the potential network of reachable stakeholders counts thousands of businesses on an international scale. Key facts are reported below. Within the scope of CLEANHYPRO, several circular innovative materials and key components, four main electrolysis technologies and geometries will be covered, providing for the first time a single entry point for industrial partners, mainly SMEs, aspiring to answer their concerns but with minimum investment costs and reduction of risks associated with technology transfer, while opening-up opportunities for demonstration of materials and components (TRL7) and thus faster opening the market for these new products. The main KPIs for CLEANHYPRO: Technical: >20% cell productivity improvement, 30% faster verification, 27-58% and 22-79% cost reduction of technologies in CAPEX and OPEX respectively, 3-9% efficiency enhancement. Non-Technical: 4 Showcases, 4 certification schemes, ≥16 Democases, >100 reachable SMEs and > 300 reachable investors. INNOMEM stems from the consideration that the development of products based on key materials and components for electrolysis require access to finance and an optimised business planning, relying on a sound prior analysis of the market, of the economic impacts and capacity of a company. The project aims at developing and organizing a sustainable Open Innovation Test Bed (OITB) for electrolysis materials and components for different applications. The OITB will also offer a network of facilities and services through a SEP to companies.