Description du projet
Fabriquer des piles à combustible à hydrogène pour une fraction du coût
La technologie des piles à combustible à hydrogène promet une source d’énergie alternative propre et fiable pour un nombre croissant d’applications, y compris les transports ainsi que l’alimentation de secours fixe, portable et d’urgence. Mais malgré son potentiel, cette technologie n’a pas encore pris suffisamment d’ampleur pour permettre une percée commerciale, en raison principalement de son coût et de sa complexité. Le projet EHSTACK, financé par l’UE, vise à lever les obstacles au déploiement à grande échelle de cette technologie. En réduisant les composants auxiliaires, le projet tentera de simplifier l’architecture globale de la pile à combustible et d’augmenter son efficacité énergétique. La densité énergétique devrait être 1,5 fois supérieure à celle de la technologie concurrente des piles à combustible. Enfin, il intégrera également le développement de machines propriétaires qui permettront de réduire considérablement les coûts de production d’une pile de 30 kW, les faisant passer de 1 000 EUR/kW à moins de 50-100 EUR/kW.
Objectif
EH Group Engineering (EHG) aims to become a leading player in the emerging hydrogen economy. This is via the commercialisation of a low temperature fuel cell (FC) based on a radical new design and the development of a transformative manufacturing technique that dramatically reduces costs:
- A uniquely simplified and re-designed FC stack at the micro level, making it significantly more compact, lightweight and efficient. It also simplifies the overall FC system architecture by reducing or eliminating auxiliary components, making it more efficient and cheaper. It delivers a power density of 1.5 times leading competitors’ products.
- A completely new concept of fuel cell stack design and assembly with high micro precision, integrating proprietary machinery that will enable the production at scale of a 30kW stack in less than a minute at a cost of less than 100EUR/kW (currently over 1,000EUR/kW). Radical cost reduction in fuel cell by process innovation in production with a sharply lower capex.
- Our FC technology can operate with minimal effects of gravity and in any orientation, making it a great candidate in the automotive sector as a power generator.
EH Group is focused on B2B; equipment manufacturers purchasing our FC to integrate them into their product offerings. Two patents have been filed with further three planned for late 2019. Our leadership team combines more than 50+ years of collective expertise in the field of engineering, fuel cells, low/high temperature materials, institutional finance and entrepreneurship.
The fuel cell market has been expanding at 25-40%p.a. in stationary and mobile applications, and is projected to reach 25bio USD by 2025. The electrification of heavy transport, such as buses, trucks and maritime vessels where batteries cannot compete on range, weight and refueling time are strong candidates for the deployment of our technology, as we forge towards the imperative of a low carbon future.
Champ scientifique
- social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managemententrepreneurship
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringautomotive engineering
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsfuel cells
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringnaval engineeringsea vessels
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energyhydrogen energy
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
SME-2b - SME Instrument (grant only and blended finance)Coordinateur
1197 Prangins
Suisse
L’entreprise s’est définie comme une PME (petite et moyenne entreprise) au moment de la signature de la convention de subvention.