Project description
Innovative solution for water desalination and electricity generation
Climate change has intensified the urgency and severity of the energy crisis and freshwater scarcity, two of the most pressing global challenges. With growing populations and industrialisation, particularly in emerging countries, these issues are expected to worsen. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the PHOTEM project aims to address both challenges simultaneously. It will develop an innovative photothermal desalination solution combined with thermoelectric generation technology, using sustainable materials and production methods. This solution will efficiently evaporate clean water from seawater while harnessing waste heat to generate electricity through photothermal materials that directly convert solar energy into heat.
Objective
Among the different global challenges that we are facing today, the energy crisis and freshwater scarcity represent two of the most critical ones, according to international institutions such as the World Health Organization and the International Energy Agency. Moreover, they are expected to worsen with rising populations and the industrialisation of emerging countries. To address these, sustainable and eco-friendly solutions are imperative. In this context, solar energy, an abundant and green resource, can be leveraged to meet both needs. PHOTEM will do so with an innovative approach that efficiently combines photothermal desalination with thermoelectric generation, driven by the development of novel high-performing and environmentally friendly materials. In this approach, photothermal materials (PTMs) directly convert solar energy into heat, facilitating the evaporation of clean water from seawater. Concurrently, the thermoelectric generator (TEG) uses the radiated waste heat from photothermal conversion process to generate electricity through the Seebeck effect. The project’s ambitious goal is to design, synthesize, and integrate these novel materials into a unified system that optimizes water evaporation rates and electricity generation while minimizing environmental impact. PHOTEM focuses on three key components: the PTM, the TEG, and the engineering of their integration (EOI). By advancing the efficiency of these components beyond the current state-of-the-art, the project aims to achieve high evaporation rates, improved solar evaporation efficiencies, and cost-effective, stable TEG. PHOTEM’s innovative approach aligns with global sustainability goals, offering a scalable and impactful solution to the intertwined issues of water and energy scarcity.
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.
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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.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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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.
30202 Cartagena
Spain
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.