Renewable hydrogen used as feedstock in innovative production routes (Processes4Planet Partnership) (RIA)

Hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources does not lead to direct carbon dioxide emissions when used and it can offer solutions to decrease GHG emissions in industrial processes. Hydrogen is thus an important enabler for meeting the 2050 climate neutrality goal. In the energy intensive process industries, hydrogen can be used either as feedstock (chemical or reducing agent) or as an energy carrier. The integration of renewable hydrogen into new production routes as a feedstock will lead to major GHG emission reductions across several European industry sectors.

Currently, hydrogen is largely used in industrial sectors such as the chemical industries and refineries. In addition to the current processes, there are different production pathways under development using hydrogen as a chemical feedstock in low-carbon industrial processes. Hydrogen could be used as reducing agent in the production and recovery of metals, biogenic and circular carbon optimisation or in new process routes to produce platform chemicals (e.g. carbon-based waste and side streams or biomass). The proposals under this topic should:

• Develop innovative production routes using hydrogen as feedstock;
• Evaluate the efficient integration of the new production process into the processing line, including downstream and upstream;
• Design production process coupled/integrated with renewable hydrogen by making the best use of simulation, modelling and IT tools;
• Include energy efficiency, techno-economic and life-cycle assessments considering the efficient use of the hydrogen as well as the value of the by-products, and the value chain from hydrogen production, storage, distribution and usage.

The use of hydrogen as feedstock to produce fuels is out of the scope of this topic. Proposals submitted under this topic should include a business case and exploitation strategy, as outlined in the introduction to this Destination. Societal and environmental impact and implications for the workplace (such as skills, organisational change) should be outlined.

Proposals should build on or seek collaboration with existing projects and develop synergies with other relevant European, national, or regional initiatives and funding programmes and platforms. Where relevant, proposals could liaise with the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking and are encouraged to contribute and participate to the activities of the TRUST database and the hydrogen observatory.

This topic implements the co-programmed European partnership Processes4Planet.