The aim of this proposal is to promote and facilitate technologically, financially, and operationally mature projects from Horizon 2020 to reach deployment phase by means of developing synergies with the ETS Innovation Fund. The overall objective of H2IF is to validate such connection could be effective between promising Horizon funded R&I results and Innovation Fund for hydrogen and energy storage projects. This proof of concept will be made thanks to the scaling-up and submission of 3 projects to the Innovation Fund instrument, all of them having been selected due to their high ‘climate neutrality’ potential, their innovation degree, while already being supported by Horizon 2020.

Redox Flow Batteries (RFB) are a key enabling technology for the energy transition. Mass market introduction of RFB’s has been hampered by various factors – material scarcity and cost (e.g. vanadium-based RBF), limited catalyst lifetime, membrane costs, system complexity and safety issues. The development of an economically viable, environmentally benign and sustainable redox-flow battery (RFB) storage systems is therefore eagerly awaited. The MEmbraneless LOw cost high DensitY RFB (MELODY) project will develop a sustainable RFB technology that is able to reduce the costs of electricity storage to an absolute minimum, even below the 0.05 €/kWh/cycle by 2030 as set out in the SET plan. MELODY employs a unique triple cost reduction strategy on the conventional RFB concept while tackling all major technical issues in an integrated manner. The three key elements are 1) A membraneless flow battery concept 2) the choice for hydrogen and bromine 3) Simplified system design. This approach will results in the realization and operation technology for a practical membraneless H2-Br2 redox flow battery at industrially relevant scale (based on dedicated Cell, Stack and Balance of Plant development and piloting). Hereby MELODY will improve all elements that will be limiting after successfully eliminating the membrane (Electrode and electrolyte development, sustainability and techno-economic assessments). With an unrivalled low Levelized Cost of Storage MELODY’s solution is best positioned to change storage from a pure cost factor into a valuable business cases and will enable a wider integration of renewables in the European energy mix. To successfully complete all objectives as set out in the call, MELODY brings together a world-class consortium of SME’s (Elestor, PV3 Technologies, Vertech), industry (Shell) and academic leaders (TU Delft, Technion, University of Exeter, ETH Zurich) that has all required know-how and capabilities to complete the project.

Renewable energy sources like wind turbines require large-scale, stationary energy storage systems to balance out fluctuations in energy generation. FlowCamp will advance the development of one of the most promising storage systems: redox-flow batteries (RFBs). The recruited fellows will develop materials (membranes, electrodes, electrolytes, catalysts, sealing materials) and macrohomogeneous models for three next generation RFBs (hydrogen-bromine, organic and zinc-air systems). They will then upscale the new systems to prototype level (TRL4/5), and validate them using the cutting-edge battery testing facilities available for the prestigious German-funded RedoxWind project at Fraunhofer ICT. The new RFB technologies can be combined in energy storage systems tailored to a wide variety of application scenarios, with lower cost, longer service life and higher efficiency than conventional (e.g. Li-ion) storage devices. Through FlowCamp, 15 ESRs will gain a unique skill-set comprising electrochemistry, material science and cell design/ engineering, as well as an overview of different RFB technologies and their implementation at prototype level. FlowCamp will consequently go far beyond existing electrochemical training, in a field with a high and growing research demand. The employability of the ESRs will be further enhanced by high-quality individualized training in scientific and complementary skills, and a structured network program of training units moving them from theoretical investigations towards industrial application and entrepreneurship. The active involvement of industrial partners, secondments in applied research and industry and a strong research and training emphasis on market requirements will furthermore provide them with the intersectoral experience needed for a career in electrochemical energy storage.

The energy transition has increased demand for energy storage, including long-duration storage solutions like redox-flow batteries (RFBs). But RFBs are limited by a high levelized cost of storage, due in part to inefficient electrode use and the lack of tailored RFB components. SPACER will develop high-power-density electrodes for RFBs, with a max. power density of ca. 1Acm-2 and energy efficiencies >85-90% at relevant current densities (20-30% higher than conventional electrodes). The expected cost is up to 50% less than conventional electrodes. SPACER’s approach is the use of hierarchical structures, i.e. complex multilayer materials. Work will entail: • Multiscale modelling to better understand RFB behavior and identify hierarchically shaped pore structures for optimum electrolyte and electric flow • Prototyping of the modelled structures via stereolithic (micro-), 3D printing (meso-) and textile (macroscale) techniques • Characterization of prototypes via cutting-edge imaging techniques like EPR to validate the models and electrode performance Three development cycles (micro-, meso- and macroscale) will provide insight into complex interactions and optimal material structures, and culminate in electrodes validated in mini-stacks by industrial partner PIN (TRL6). The intended applications are established (vanadium) and next-gen (HBr) RFBs. SPACER will give 17 DCs a unique skill set spanning electrochemistry, modelling, material science and cell engineering. The employability of the DCs will be further enhanced by high-quality individual training in scientific and soft skills, and structured network training units moving them from theoretical investigations toward industrial application. The involvement of 3 industrial beneficiaries and a non-funded Industrial Board, secondments in applied research and industry, and a strong training emphasis on market needs will equip the DCs with the intersectoral skills needed for a career in electrochemical energy storage.

GIFT is an innovative project that aims to decarbonise the energy mix of European islands. European islands have to abide by the law of their countries that push toward a greener energy mix to comply with the European and international agreements. GIFT is willing to develop innovative systems to allow islands to integrate vast amount of renewables. In order to reach that goal, the coordinator INEA has built a well-balanced consortium gathering a total of 17 partners of 7 countries, including 1 industrial partner, 9 SMEs, two municipalities, 3 research centres and 2 universities. Through the development of multiple innovative solutions, such as a virtual power system, energy management systems for harbours, factories, homes, better prediction of supply and demand and visualisation of those date through a GIS platform, and innovative storage systems allowing synergy between electrical, heating and transportation networks, GIFT will increase the penetration rate of renewable energy sources into the islands’ grid, reducing their needs for diesel generation and thus decreasing the greenhouse gases emissions directly related to it. During 4 years, the partners will develop and demonstrate the solutions in two lighthouse islands, in Hinnøya, Norway’s largest island and the small island of Procida in Italy and study the replicability of the solution in a Greek and Italian islands at the minimum, respectively Evia and Favignana. The complementarity of these islands in terms of climate, energy mix, population and activities is meant to have solutions adaptable to different situations. To even increase this, the GIFT project has started to build a replication board with associations that already gather 1640 European islands that will be able to study replication for their territories. The consortium aims to provide sustainable solutions with a strong market uptake and plans to widely disseminate their solutions and replicate it on all relevant islands in the EU and beyond.