Project description
Renewable energy solutions for Africa
Developing communities often face disproportionate effects of energy poverty and climate change. This presents additional risks for females, including exposure to harmful cooking emissions. The EU funded LoCEL-H2 project will develop integrated prosumer renewable energy solutions that meet the unique needs of local communities, providing access to renewable, cost-effective, plug-n-play, sustainable electrical energy and access to clean fuels. The project will introduce three impressive technical innovations. The first is Battolyser, a low-cost hydrogen-based energy solution. Next is a circular and high-performance battery technology. The third is a decentralised, peer-to-peer, prosumer microgrid designed to facilitate sustainable rollout. LoCEL-H2 will pilot two full-scale trials in Africa (Côte d'Ivoire and Zambia) and provide physical, digital and social tools to support the project.
Objective
Many communities in developing regions suffer disproportionately from energy poverty and the effects of climate change. Females in these communities face additional threats, including exposure to harmful cooking emissions. LoCEL-H2 will address underlying causes of these issues by providing renewable, cost-effective, plug-n-play, and sustainable provision of electrical energy and access to clean fuels.
Our integrated prosumer renewable energy solution will be developed in harmony with local communities’ needs; our SSH team will evaluate critical socioeconomic factors for use in system development and future rollout. It is our ambition to provide operational training for deployment communities and future local partners.
LoCEL-H2 features three impressive technical innovations: 1) a unique, low-cost, hydrogen-based energy solution, the Battolyser, 2) a novel battery technology, with high performance and excellent circularity, 3) a decentralized, peer-to-peer, prosumer microgrid designed holistically to facilitate sustainable rollout.
Following system-level integration & validation (via a virtual pilot and a pre-pilot in Asia at TRL-7), the LoCEL-H2 team will deploy two full-scale TRL-8 pilots in Africa (Côte d'Ivoire and Zambia), including physical, digital, and social tools, achieving TRL-8 by the end of the current project. Our team’s existing commercial networks—Asian and African—will enable the further post-project commercial rollout of LoCEL-H2, boosting European export potential in sustainable energy solutions.
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Funding Scheme
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation ActionsCoordinator
75015 PARIS 15
France