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Technical and business validation of advanced catalysts for hydrogen production to drive Europe’s sustainable energy competitiveness

Objective

ReCatalyst aims to strengthen Europe’s autonomy in clean hydrogen production by scaling and validating its next-generation electrocatalyst platform for proton exchange membrane (PEM) and anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolysers. The project tackles a dual challenge limiting hydrogen technologies uptake: (i) the poor scalability of current technologies due to high platinum group metal (PGM) content, mainly platinum (Pt) and iridium (Ir), and (ii) the loss of performance when reducing or replacing these critical raw materials (CRMs).
ReCatalyst addresses both barriers by maximizing the efficiency of Ir for PEM electrolysis applications, while also thrifting Pt and introducing PGM-free catalyst formulation alternatives for AEM electrolysis, enabling scalable, high-performance hydrogen production with far lower dependence on PGMs for both PEM and AEM. Using its proprietary pulse-combustion reactor (PCR) process, the project will establish a continuous, high-purity catalyst manufacturing method aligned with Clean Hydrogen JU Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda 2030 targets.
The technological objectives are to: (i) optimise catalyst formulations for AEM and PEM electrolysers; (ii) upgrade and automate the PCR process; and (iii) validate performance and scalability through techno-economic analysis (TEA).
The business objectives focus on market readiness through go-to-market, commercialisation, and intellectual property (IP) strategies, supported by market validation - including ≥20 customer interviews, ≥5 paid proof-of-concepts, and ≥30 investor engagements leading to ≥3 investment interests.
Aligned with the EIC Pre-Accelerator call, the project advances ReCatalyst’s innovation from TRL 4–5 to TRL 6 and BRL 6, bridging the technology-to-market gap. By cutting PGM demand and enabling scalable catalyst manufacturing, ReCatalyst strengthens Europe’s sustainable hydrogen value chain for the decarbonisation of energy, industry, and mobility.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-CSA - HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-02

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Coordinator

RECATALYST, RAZVOJ, PROIZVODNJA IN PRODAJA KATALIZATORSKIH KOMPOZITOV, D.O.O.
Net EU contribution
€ 499 975,63
Address
HAJDRIHOVA ULICA 19
1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia
SME
Yes
Region
Slovenija Zahodna Slovenija Osrednjeslovenska
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Links
Total cost
No data