Descrizione del progetto
Una produzione pulita e sostenibile di metanolo a un costo che il mondo può permettersi
L’uso dell’idrogeno (H2) come fonte di energia rinnovabile potrebbe mitigare i cambiamenti climatici provocati dalle emissioni di carbonio. Tuttavia, la sua produzione si basa attualmente sugli idrocarburi, con conseguenti abbondanti emissioni di CO2. Ottenere l’H2 dalla semplice e pulita elettrolisi dell’acqua abbinata a fonti rinnovabili potrebbe risolvere il problema. L’elettrolisi dell’acqua a membrana a scambio di protoni è una tecnologia promettente in questo senso. Abilitare l’assorbimento diffuso richiede la riduzione o l’eliminazione dell’uso di costosi catalizzatori di metalli preziosi e di altri componenti altrettanto costosi senza compromettere le prestazioni. Il progetto PROMET-H2, finanziato dall’UE, sta portando questa promettente tecnologia per la generazione di H2 rinnovabile a basso costo dal laboratorio al mercato, consentendo un’ulteriore conversione a carburanti e prodotti chimici di alto valore. In questo contesto, PROMET-H2 dimostrerà la conversione al metanolo, l’alcool più semplice che può essere prodotto solo da CO2 e H2.
Obiettivo
The need for de-carbonization of our society is a pressing issue raising the attention at social and political levels. The production of high value chemicals and fuels such as methanol requires hydrogen derived at the moment from hydrocarbons and resulting in large emissions of CO2. Green Hydrogen produced by water electrolysis coupled to renewable sources could be the ultimate solution to this problem. Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is the most suitable technology for this process due to its compactness and flexibility. However, the dependence on precious metal catalysts and expensive components manufactured in titanium poses a serious threat for the scale up and market penetration of this technology. PROMET-H2 project aims to develop a pressurized PEMWE with the lowest capital cost ever achieved (500-750 €/kW) without compromising performance and durability. The stack, based on hydraulic compression technology, will contain improved membranes and electrodes with reduced or even free of precious metal contents and with coated stainless steel bipolar plates (BPP) and porous transport layers (PTL). The materials and components that will make this possible have already been demonstrated in laboratory and in PROMET-H2 these innovations will be implemented in a 25 kW PEMWE system. Such electrolyser will be coupled with a methanol production pilot plant from CO2. Materials recycling strategies will be developed and a deep LCA and cost evaluation will be realised to ensure that the new PEMWE can be scaled-up to meet the demands of large methanol industrial plants. A well-balanced consortium of 12 industry and academic partners will address these challenges in three years with the aim of achieving renewable methanol production. At the end of the project, they will establish R&D and business cooperation in a value chain that goes from the nanomaterial synthesis to the green production of one of the most promising fuels and feed-stock chemicals.
Campo scientifico
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesinternettransport layer
- natural scienceschemical scienceselectrochemistryelectrolysis
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrytransition metals
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryhydrocarbons
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryalcohols
- natural scienceschemical sciencescatalysis
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuels
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Invito a presentare proposte
Vedi altri progetti per questo bandoBando secondario
H2020-NMBP-ST-IND-2019
Meccanismo di finanziamento
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinatore
51147 Koln
Germania