PROTOSTACK will create a radically new, compact and modular PCCEL stack design with integrated hot-box for operation and delivery of hydrogen up to 30 bar. The stack will be demonstrated at 5 kW and provide a pathway for further scale-up to systems of hundreds of kW. These achievements will be an important proof of technological feasibility that will attest to the advancement of PCCEL technology from TRL 2 to TRL 4. To achieve its ambitious goals, the project consortium gathers research and industry partners that are world-leading within proton ceramic technologies, with recognized expertise relevant to the research and development of electrolysers, membrane-reactors, materials, electrochemistry, and process engineering. The overall consortium will engage in wide communication and dissemination activities to ensure maximum impact of the project’s outcomes and the industry partners have high ambition for business exploitation and commercialisation of the PROTOSTCK technology.

SINGLE will enable ammonia as an energy carrier in the hydrogen value chain through demonstration of a proton ceramic electrochemical reactor (PCER) that integrates the ammonia dehydrogenation (ADH) reaction, hydrogen separation, heat management and compression in a single stage. The realization of 4 process steps in a single reactor allows the technology to achieve unprecedented energy efficiencies with a project target to demonstrate > 90% (HHV) at system level. The PCER-ADH technology enables to directly deliver purified, pressurized H2 (20 bar). SINGLE will demonstrate the technology at a 10 kg H2 /day scale that will provide a pathway for future scale-up systems ranging from small (fuelling stations) to large centralized (at harbour) deployments. A key technology component is the electrochemical cell, that will be engineered to act as a durable PGM-free ADH catalyst at 500 °C and a voltage-driven membrane separator. The achievements in SINGLE will be an important proof of technological feasibility advancing the technology from TRL3 to TRL5. To strengthen the implementation of NH3 as a H2 carrier, SINGLE will actively disseminate and communicate the results to influence stakeholders in the value chain, including standardization entities within the hydrogen sector. The consortium counts on partners from the industry, institute and academia sector with high world-wide excellence in the respective fields of catalysis, electrochemical membrane reactors, life-cycle assessment, process engineering, control systems and hydrogen fuelling stations.

The GAMER project will develop a novel cost-effective tubular Proton Ceramic Electrolyser (PCE) stack technology integrated in a steam electrolyser system to produce pure dry pressurized hydrogen. The electrolyser system will be thermally coupled to renewable or waste heat sources in industrial plants to achieve higher AC electric efficiency and efficient heat valorisation by the integrated processes. The project will establish high volume production of the novel tubular proton conducting ceramic cells. The cells will be qualified for pressurized steam electrolysis operation at intermediate temperature (500-700°C). They will be bundled in innovative single engineering units (SEU) encased in tubular steel shells, a modular technology, amenable to various industrial scales. GAMER will develop designs of system and balance of plant components supported by advanced modelling and simulation work, flowsheets of integrated processes, combined with robust engineering routes for demonstrating efficient thermal and electrical integration in a 10 kW electrolyser system delivering pure hydrogen at minimum 30 bars outlet pressure. The consortium covers the full value chain of the hydrogen economy, from cell and SEU manufacturer (CMS), system integrators (MC2, CRI), through researchers (SINTEF, UiO, CSIC), to end users in refineries, oil and gas, chemical industry (CRI, Shell with advisory board members YARA and AirLiquide). All along the project, these experienced partners will pay particular attention to risk management (technical, economic, logistic, business) and ensure progress of the technology from TRL3 to TRL5. The overall consortium will perform strategic communication with the relevant stakeholders in order to ensure strong exploitation of the project’s results.

The increasing availability and affordability of renewable electricity are enabling the decarbonisation of many industrial sectors. A key tool is electricity storage, especially providing high-capacity, long-term storage and transportability. However, currently-proposed energy-storage technologies are either based on energy-inefficient multistage processing or require electrified units at temperatures not compatible with catalytic steps. hyPPER vision is to combine process intensification and innovative molecular catalysis to bring out ground-breaking efficient, load-flexible and scalable reactor technology that intimately integrates LOHC-based storage and proton-ceramic steam-electrolysis/fuel-cell. hyPPER will develop a compact reactor cell integrating a hybrid layered membrane and selective electrodes. Through the first-principles engineering of a proton-conducting electrolyte heterojunction, both ionic transport and electrocatalysis at LOHC-cycle operation conditions (250-400°C) will be enhanced. As a result, this compact technology will boost atomic and round-trip efficiency in energy storage potentially reaching >75% , thus cutting associated GHG emissions. Integration of the hyPPER concept in existing and emerging RE-plants and use cases will contribute to expanding the business portfolio and strengthen the sustainability and economic base of the energy sector. Up-scale viability will be analysed by considering techno- economic, regulatory, societal and sustainability criteria. Upon fabrication of the cell applying advanced thin-film methods and catalyst integration, hyPPER will validate this technology (TRL-4) in the reversible electrochemically-driven LOHC charge/discharge. The consortium counts on academic partners with the highest worldwide excellence in electroceramics, catalysis and nanofabrication of energy devices, together with leading industrial partners with exceptional expertise in sustainability and medium-temperature electrochemical cells.