Project description
Safe, eco-friendly materials for cleaner energy production
Current proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysers and fuel cells use materials that are expensive and harmful to the environment and health owing to toxic chemicals released during production and disposal. The EU-funded ECOPEM project aims to solve this by creating safe, non-fluorinated hydrocarbon-based membranes, reinforcements and ionomers. By focusing on eco-friendly design and sustainability, ECOPEM will develop advanced components that are efficient and long-lasting. Researchers will prove that these components can deliver higher performance and durability in energy systems. If successful, ECOPEM will set a new standard for safer, more efficient materials in PEM electrolysers and fuel cells.
Objective
PEM water electrolysers (PEMWE) and PEM fuel cell (PEMFC) technologies currently rely on perfluorinated sulfonic acid (PFSA)-based materials and components, which pose significant health and environmental risks due to the release of toxic fluorine groups during production and disposal. Moreover, the production of PFSA remains costly, compounding the challenges associated with their use. Therefore, the ECOPEM project aims at developing safe-by-design, non-fluorinated hydrocarbon-based membranes, reinforcements, and ionomers. This ambitious work will be facilitated by the development and implementation of life cycle thinking tools addressing environmental and economic dimensions to drive the research and innovation using quantifiable sustainability criteria. ECOPEM will deliver scientific breakthroughs in the design and processing of materials, components and membrane electrode assembles (MEAs) enabling replacement of PFSAs by hydrocarbon-based polymers in membranes and catalyst layers. The project will validate the significant benefits of these MEAs by demonstrating an increased current density, reaching a minimum of 3 A cm-2 at a cell voltage of 1.8 V and degradation rate < 5µV/h for PEMWE cells; and a power density > 1.5 W/cm2 at 0.650 V and a degradation rate < 5 µV/h for PEMFC using harmonized JRC testing procedures. Achieving these ambitious targets would result in a new standard for hydrocarbon-based MEAs for PEMWE and PEMFC applications.
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 polymer sciences
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry halogens
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels fuel cells
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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.
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HORIZON.2.5 - Climate, Energy and Mobility
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-JU-RIA - HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions
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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) HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024
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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.
2007 Lillestrm
Norway
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.