Project description
Electrolysis technology for seawater to hydrogen production
Hydrogen energy and fuel are emerging as promising renewable energy solutions with the potential to support the Green Deal and green transition efforts. However, most hydrogen production technologies remain in development or testing and lack diversification. The EU-funded SWEETHY project aims to advance an innovative technology for direct seawater electrolysis, enabling hydrogen and oxygen production under intermittent conditions while integrating with renewable power sources such as solar and wind. This approach will leverage an anion exchange membrane (AEM) in natural or alkaline seawater. The project will focus on developing novel specialised materials, designing prototype electrolyser stacks using advanced architectural methodologies, and incorporating insights from sustainability analyses to ensure safe and sustainable integration.
Objective
SWEETHY will develop an advanced technology for direct seawater electrolysis that will be able to produce H2 and O2 under intermittent conditions accounting for the coupling to renewable power sources (especially wind, PV). The electrolyser will be based on an anion exchange membrane (AEM) operating in natural or alkaline seawater, and the SWEETHY technology will be developed along three dimensions:
a) Materials optimization to meet the specific requirement of seawater environment: A focus will be made on corrosion resistance and selective PGM-free electrocatalysts for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions, on AEM with high selectivity for transporting hydroxide anions and anti-fouling properties as well as on novel anti-corrosion coatings for bipolar plates and porous transport layers prepared by plasma spraying and electrodeposition.
b) An electrolyser stack prototype based on a novel stack architecture applying hydraulic cell compression is developed to host the advanced materials to produce H2 at high pressure. Beneficial functions of the targeted unique stack are related to scalability and maintainability that will be tremendously improved in comparison to conventional AEMWE stacks.
c) Sustainability analysis studies not only for the electrolyser system but also for its integration into renewable-power systems and for efficient by-product utilization in industrial symbioses, feeding back to materials optimization and stack development early on. Complementing LCA, social LCA and techno-economic analyses/optimization by qualitative work ensures both environmental, economic, and social sustainability.
Combining these three dimensions, SWEETHY will utilize Mediterranean seawater feed in Messina, Italy, to withstand more than 2000 h of operation to produce 20 gH2/h with a degradation rate lower than 1%/100h. In addition, SWEETHY will demonstrate how the operation of the electrolyser can ensure an optimized revenue concerning by-products and grid services.
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 computer and information sciences internet transport layer
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis electrocatalysis
- natural sciences chemical sciences electrochemistry electrolysis
- engineering and technology materials engineering coating and films
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels renewable energy hydrogen energy
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.
-
HORIZON.2.5 - Climate, Energy and Mobility
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
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-JU-RIA - HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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) HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
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.
501 15 Boras
Sweden
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.