Project description
Electrified reactor technology converting ammonia into hydrogen
The energy transition requires effective hydrogen transportation and storage solutions. While ammonia is considered an ideal hydrogen carrier, the absence of efficient industrial technologies for its decomposition (cracking) remains a major challenge for hydrogen recovery. The ERC-funded INCANT project aims to develop a reactor technology to convert ammonia into hydrogen. Building on previous ERC projects, it features an electrified catalytic reactor that utilises ohmic heating of porous cellular structures, such as open-cell foams or 3D-printed materials, packed with catalyst particles. The high porosity can host a large catalyst inventory, enhancing the efficiency of the ammonia cracking process. The reactor’s design ensures uniform heat generation across the catalyst bed via the Joule effect, enabling thermal efficiencies close to 100 %.
Objective
In view of the ongoing energy transition, solutions for the transportation and storage of hydrogen are urgently needed. Ammonia is recognized in principle as the best hydrogen carrier, but a bottleneck is represented by the lack of efficient industrial technologies for ammonia decomposition (cracking), a necessary step for hydrogen recovery.
Capitalizing on the previous ERC projects of the PI (INTENT, AdG 2015; INSTANT, PoC 2020), INCANT proposes to develop an innovative reactor technology to valorise the potential of ammonia as energy vector via its cracking to hydrogen. The novelty core of INCANT is an electrified catalytic reactor configuration, which features ohmic heating of highly porous cellular internals (e.g. open-cell foams, 3D printed POCS). As demonstrated in the parent AdG ERC project INTENT for the case of another endothermic reaction, i.e. methane steam reforming, this solution provides a twofold advantage, in that: i) the high porosity can be packed with a large amount of catalyst particles, which is key to increase the conversion efficiency of the relatively slow NH3 cracking process; ii) the electrically and thermally connected cellular internals enable a very effective and uniform supply of the endothermic heat of reaction across the catalyst bed through the Joule effect (heat generation due to the passage of electric current in a conductor), with thermal efficiencies approaching 100%.
The goal of INCANT is to adapt and demonstrate the same concept for the ammonia cracking reaction, developing a prototype NH3 reformer which will revolutionize the technology associated with the use of ammonia as hydrogen carrier: it will in fact enable the ammonia decomposition in compact, intensified structured reactors, which is optimal for distributed applications. If using electricity from renewable sources (wind, solar…), this concept results in releasing hydrogen with virtually no CO2 emissions.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry aliphatic compounds
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2023-POC
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
20133 Milano
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.