Ammonia powered fuel cell system focusing on superior efficiency, durable operation and design optimisation

The scope of this topic is to design, manufacture and validate in relevant environmental an ammonia fuelled fuel cell system with a total electrical power output of 5-15 kW_el. The system should operate for at least 3,000 hours and be also validated for operation at partial loads.

The system requires innovative scientific and engineering solutions. The focus of research may include innovative fuel cell design and should include BoP components and integrated ammonia cracker, safe and durable operation. For system development proposals may use available fuel cell technologies. Fuel cell manufacturers should be part of consortia.

Balance of plant (BoP) components needed for ammonia-driven fuel cells determine overall efficiency and durability of the system and should be designed taking into consideration the following requirements:

• Ammonia cracker integration into the system without external power should allow a fully autonomous operation;
• System design and integration of BoP should enable to maximise heat recovery;
• System should demonstrate dynamic load and relevant operating conditions in respect to the intended application;
• Power consumption for internal needs should be minimised.

Proposals should address the following:

• System design and development utilising existing fuel cell manufacturing technologies;
• Development of ammonia-tolerant BoP components;
• Dynamic modelling of system performance;
• Identification of degradation mechanisms in fuel cells and BoP components (including ammonia purity and degree of ammonia cracking), and effect of operation parameters;
• Risk assessment of safety aspects in relation to the future certification of the system;
• Techno-economical assessment for a selected application;
• System operation / state of health monitoring;
• System operation with various grades of ammonia, including concentrations of ammonia in the feeding gas and impurities/contaminants;
• System dynamic load and transient behaviour according to the end-user load profile(s) for selected application(s).

Consortia are expected to gather comprehensive expertise from the European research and industrial community. Participation of end user(s) for the selected system application is also expected.

Activities developing test protocols and procedures for the performance and durability assessment of electrolysers and fuel cell components proposals should foresee a collaboration mechanism with JRC (see section 2.2.4.3 ""Collaboration with JRC""), in order to support EU-wide harmonisation. Test activities should adopt the already published EU harmonised testing protocols[[https://www.clean-hydrogen.europa.eu/knowledge-management/collaboration-jrc-0_en]] to benchmark performance and quantify progress at programme level.

Activities are expected to start at TRL 3 and achieve TRL 5 by the end of the project.

The conditions related to this topic are provided in the chapter 2.2.3.2 of the Clean Hydrogen JU 2022 Annual Work Plan and in the General Annexes to the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2021–2022 which apply mutatis mutandis.