Establishing Eco-design Guidelines for Hydrogen Systems and Technologies

Project Information

eGHOST

Grant agreement ID: 101007166

DOI

10.3030/101007166

Project closed

EC signature date 9 December 2020

Start date 1 January 2021

End date 31 May 2024

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport

Total cost

€ 1 133 541,25

EU contribution

€ 998 991,25

Coordinated by

Fundacion IMDEA Energia
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - eGHOST (Establishing Eco-design Guidelines for Hydrogen Systems and Technologies)

Reporting period: 2022-07-01 to 2024-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The eGHOST project has been the first milestone for the development of eco-design criteria in the European hydrogen sector. Moreover, eGHOST project has pioneered the development of social life cycle assessment in hydrogen-related projects looking at sustainable-by-design technologies that minimize environmental, economic and social impacts from the product-design phase.

According to important documents such as the European Green Deal, the new Industrial Strategy for Europe and the Circular Economy Directive, eco-design is a strategic factor for the fulfilment of the EU's commitment to a climate-neutral and circular economy in 2050. Thus, eGHOST has become a reference for the transition to such an economy by supporting the fuel cells and hydrogen (FCH) sector with a framework for the eco-(re)design of mature and emerging products and the promotion of FCH technologies as a sustainable investment.

eGHOST contributed to positioning FCH in this context by developing the first preparatory study of a hydrogen product under the guiding principles of the Eco-design Directive. Two guidelines for specific FCH products (PEMFC and SOEC stacks) have been completed and the lessons learnt were integrated into the eGHOST White Book, a reference guidance book for any future eco-design project of FCH systems. In this way, eGHOST has improved the understanding of FCH technologies as a sustainable investment under the EU Taxonomy.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

A methodological framework for the eco-(re)design of mature and emerging products has been developed through the adaptation and application of life cycle thinking methodologies (Deliverables 2.1 2.2 and 2.3). Moreover, a base case of a PEMFC stack has been defined and applied within the context of the Eco-design Directive (Deliverable 2.4).

Full application of the eGHOST eco-design methodology has been carried out. A set of eco-designed product concepts was defined (Deliverable 3.2). In the case of the PEMFC stack, four new concepts were proposed:
- Realistic short-term concept: based only on short-term actions that will be made and implemented in the industry in the near future;
- Realistic medium and long-term concept: based on short-term actions and also includes some medium and long-term actions.
- Optimistic product concept is the concept that is already being implemented by some cutting-edge technology companies and/or developed on a laboratory scale.
- Disruptive product concept: includes the relevant actions mentioned above plus others that are still in development or in the initial research or even conceptual phase.

Due to the lower maturity of SOEC stacks, a prospective approach was applied and two product concepts were proposed:
- Enhanced realistic product concept, based on the medium-term actions that will be realized and implemented in the FCH industry in the near future (medium-term perspective).
- Optimistic product concept: includes all relevant above-mentioned medium-term actions with additional view on possible actions which are still under development or in the early research phase or even conceptual phase.

All these product concepts were assessed and prioritised according to their technical and sustainability performance improving that from reference products (Deliverable 4.2).

Finally, specific sustainable-by-design guidelines for PEMFC (Deliverable 5.1) and SOEC (Deliverable 5.2) stacks have been published. All the knowledge gained was applied for the edition of the eGHOST White Book (Deliverable 5.3) where all the lessons learnt have been brought together to issue a reference document for the sustainable-by-design methodology application to hydrogen technologies.

The research activity carried out so far has led to a significant number of research articles (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.05.255 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2024.02.015 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107614 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.143129) and scientific contributions to conferences such as the European Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Piero Lunghi Conference (EFC 2021), the European Hydrogen Energy Conference (EHEC 2022 and 2024), the 23rd World Hydrogen Energy Conference (WHEC 2022), the 11th World Congress of Chemical Engineering (WCCE11), and the 11th International Conference on Life Cycle Management (LCM 2023)

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

eGHOST has gone a step beyond the current state of the art in eco-design by incorporating eco-efficiency and social life cycle assessment of FCH products. Therefore, eGHOST proposed a sustainable (re)design of FCH products by minimising their life-cycle environmental, economic and social impacts. This has contributed to the consideration of FCH products as sustainable investments according to the EU Taxonomy by improving their performance under environmental, economic and social aspects. As a key novelty, eGHOST supports the corporate social responsibility of the European FCH sector by identifying the main social concerns across supply chains. Another innovative aspect refers to the implementation of a prospective approach in the life cycle thinking tools used to assess the performance of emerging FCH products.

The main outcomes of the eGHOST project include detailed eco-design guidelines for two specific FCH products (PEMFC and SOEC stacks), as well as general eco-design guidelines for FCH products (eGHOST White Book).

eGHOST Project scheme