The overall objective of the Waste2GridS (W2G) project is to identify the most promising industrial pathways of waste gasification and solid-oxide cell (SOC) integrated power-balancing plants (W2G plants in short). The project aims are to perform a preliminary investigation on the long-term techno-economic feasibility of W2G plants to meet different grid-balancing needs and to identify several promising business cases with necessary preconditions. To achieve such goals, an interdisciplinary team is formed by gathering leading research bodies and companies in Europe in the fields of solid-oxide reversible cells (SORC), waste identification, gasification and syngas cleaning, grid operation, and energy/process systems engineering. The results of the project will further enhance the knowledge exchange and interaction among different key players (manufacturers, investors, and research institutions), provide useful guidelines for technology development/deployment and market positioning, increase long-term competitiveness and leadership of relevant industries, and provide knowledge for policy support on W2G plants for a circular economy and for the decarbonisation of European energy systems.

The proposed SOSLeM project will contribute to the call objectives by improving production processes as well as developing and applying novel manufacturing technologies for FC stacks. The improvements proposed by the project will sum up to a reduction of manufacturing costs of about 70%, leading to decreased capital cost of about 2.500 €/kW. Besides these outstanding economical and technical improvements, production material will be spared and environmental benefits will be realized. Specifically, the project will: - Develop new and optimized processes for cassettes production, by avoidance brushing of cassettes, improved sealing adhesion on cassettes, automation of welding, lean manufacturing processes and anode contact layer laser welding, - Improve stack preparation, by advanced glass curing and stack conditioning and improved gas stations, - Enable environmental benefits by Cu-based instead of Co-based powder and evaluation of On-site Nickel removal from waste water - Reduce production time and costs and improve flexibility, by large furnace arrangement, introduction of a multi-stack production station, examination of substituting Co-based powder by Cu-based power, Examination of partially substituting Co-based powder by enamel coating and simultaneous sintering.

The ComSos project aims at strengthening the European SOFC industry’s world-leading position for SOFC products in the range of 10-60 kW totally 450 kWe. Through this project, manufacturers prepare for developing capacity for serial manufacturing, sales and marketing of mid FC CHP products. All manufacturers will validate new product segments in collaboration with the respective customers and confirm product performance, the business case and size, and test in real life the distribution channel including maintenance and service. In function of the specific segments, the system will be suitable for volumes from few 10’s to several 1,000 systems per year. The key objective of the ComSos project is to validate and demonstrate fuel cell based combined heat and power solutions in the mid-sized power ranges of 10-12 kW, 20-25 kW, and 50-60 kW (referred to as Mini FC-CHP). The outcome gives proof of the superior advantages of such systems, underlying business models, and key benefits for the customer. The technology and product concepts, in the aforementioned power range, has been developed in Europe under supporting European frameworks such as the FCH-JU. The core of the consortium consists of three SOFC system manufacturers aligned with individual strategies along the value chain: Convion (two units of 60kWe each), SOLIDpower (15 units of 12kWe each) and Sunfire (6-8 units of 25kWe each). End-users and distributors have also expressed strong interest in the products, and will be actively involved in the ComSos project by participation in the Advisory Board.

Solid Oxide Cells are efficient ways to convert variable electricity from renewables in green hydrogen. At the same time, they can be used in a reversible mode to enable the use of other sources (e.g. methane, bio-methane) to match a variable energy production with continuous and guaranteed production of hydrogen for contracted end uses. Switch will focus on the development of this specific solution and realize a mostly green and always secured production of hydrogen, heat and power. Core of the system is a reversible Solid Oxide module based on anode supported electrolyte, supported by an advanced fuel processing unit able to manage steam generation and methane reforming reactions at high efficiency and a purification unit to guarantee highly pure hydrogen in compliance with the main industrial and automotive standards. SWITCH project focuses on the demonstration of a 25kW (SOFC)/75kW (SOEC) system operating in a relevant industrial environment for at least 5000 hrs. Part of the activities will be focused on the issue of cost competitiveness and environmental impact, with the target of the hydrogen price lower than 5 €/kg. The basic solution will be designed to be up scalable to bigger sizes and thus reaching target applications in other different sectors such as industrial, residential and grid services. The modularity, low transient times, an integrated gas treatment unit and different modules combined in between SOFC and SOE mode will set a solution able to modulate between different sources and a flexible production of hydrogen, heat and power, with specific use cases considered.

To achieve European ambitions to reduce global emissions of greenhouse gases by 80% before 2050, emissions of the transport and the energy sectors will need to decrease drastically. The Hydrogen Economy offers ready solutions to decarbonize the transport sector. Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) close to be deployed in the market in increasing numbers. For FCEVs to be introduced to the market in volumes, a network of hydrogen refuelling stations (HRS) first has to exist. Green hydrogen is figured, in the medium – long term, as the target technology to decarbonize the transport sector. Indeed, this will not be commercially attractive in the first years. Similarly, new-built hydrogen supply capacity will not be viable in the first years with low demand. CH2P aims at building a transition technology for early infrastructure deployment. It uses widely available carbon-lean natural gas (NG) or bio-methane to produce hydrogen and power with Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) technology. Similar to a combined heat and power system, the high quality heat from the fuel cell is used to generate hydrogen. CH2P therefore generates hydrogen and electricity with high efficiencies (up to 90%) and a reduced environmental impact compared to conventional technologies. The system will have high dynamic (more than 50% of energy will be in form of hydrogen), purity level of hydrogen at 99.999%, a CO-level lower than 200 ppb. The target cost for the hydrogen generated will be below 4,5 €/kg. The overall technology concept will be based on modularity to enable a staged deployment of such infrastructure. CH2P will realize two systems, one with hydrogen generation capacity of 20 kg/day, for components validation, and another at 40 kg/day for infield testing. A dissemination campaign will use the project results to demonstrate the technical readiness of CH2P technology, while industrial partners are committed to enter the market after the project end.