Project description
A hydrogen vision for sustainable energy storage
In the race towards renewable energy adoption, a pressing dilemma looms large: the efficient storage of surplus electricity generated during lulls in demand. In this context, the MSCA-funded Unite.Energy project brings together European universities, corporations, and institutions in an effort to harness hydrogen as a chemical energy storage medium, produced through cutting-edge electrolysis and photoelectrolysis methods. This transformative endeavour seeks to reduce costs across the board, from production to storage and utilisation, while maximising environmental efficiency. Beyond technological advancements, Unite.Energy aspires to nurture a new generation of enterprising researchers, fostering integration of hydrogen in the energy sector through interdisciplinary excellence.
Objective
Unite!Energy builds on the coordination effort of academic institutions of the Unite! Alliance, composed of eight of the most prestigious universities in Europe, together with seven companies and three institutions that closely cooperate in the context of a doctoral training programme. The focus of the proposal is the use of hydrogen to store excess electrical energy generated off-peak from a renewable energy plant and its use for the generation of electricity at peak demand, that is, chemical energy storage. Hydrogen is produced through electrolysis and photoelectrolysis, stored on site and used to generate electricity in a fuel cell. Our aim is to increase the cost-competitiveness of chemical energy storage using hydrogen by reducing the end-to-end costs of electricity produced from renewable sources, and the costs of electrolysis, storage and fuel cell technologies. At the same time, the objective is to increase efficiency and minimise the environmental impact. The ultimate objective of Unite!Energy is to prepare a new generation of creative, entrepreneurial, innovative researchers who can develop a successful career in the integration of hydrogen in the energy field. Researchers will be exposed to scientific and technological excellence, in highly reputed European technological universities. The programme will be developed in an attractive institutional environment, shared by more than 200 k students in Europe, with interdisciplinary research options, from more fundamental science to research in hybrid academic-industrial state-of-the-art facilities. Quality assurance procedures will be implemented following those of the participating universities whose long relationship assures strong international networking among universities, research centres and industries (both large and SME) and sound training on transferable skills, which has become one of the pillars of education and innovation in partner academic institutions.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Coordinator
08034 Barcelona
Spain