ADVANCEPEM Project Updates & 6M Consortium Meeting

The third meeting of the ADVANCEPEM Consortium took place on the 5th of September 2023 in Messina Italy.

It was hosted by CNR-ITAE and was a great opportunity for each partner to present an update on their respective Work Packages and to plan submission of upcoming key technical deliverables and delivery of project milestones over the next six months. Overall, the partners were very happy with the progress so far and were confident the next milestones will be delivered on time.

The past six months of the project have been very productive with the following six deliverables submitted to the EU for approval according to the project timelines:

  • 1 Project Management Plan (M2)
  • 1 Design for validating 50kW, 200 bar electrolyser at Niederaussem (M2)
  • 1 Project Website and Identity (M3)
  • 1 Harmonised test protocols (M6)
  • 2 Data Management Plan (M6)
  • 3 First Dissemination and Exploitation Plan (M6)

The partners agreed to continue scheduling alternating online and in-person Consortium meetings every three months, with the next meeting (M9) being held online, and the one-year (M12) meeting taking place at Solvay in Bollate, Italy.

Below is the summary of deliverables D7.1 and D2.1.

D7.1 – Design for validating 50 kW, 200 bar electrolyser at Niederaussem

The Deliverable 7.1 is a technical document that defines the most important technical, health, safety and environmental standards, technical parameters and boundary conditions the partners Oort Energy, HSSMI and RWEP shall adhere to and need to consider, for their activities on the industrial demonstrations site, especially regarding the installation, commissioning and testing of new developed technology. The document is a prerequisite for the engineering of the 50 kW and 200 bar PEM electrolyser and provides the first data, process sketches and input and outlet steams to inform the permitting authorities.

 

D2.1 – Harmonised test protocols

The deliverable establishes a benchmark for electrolyser components against which development progress can be assessed in terms of durability, performance and cost. Harmonised terminology, procedures and characterisation protocols developed in previous FCH JU/ CLEAN HYDROGEN JU projects are implemented for high pressure and high temperature PEM electrolyser systems. Ex situ and in situ characterisation of membranes, catalysts, electrodes, and MEA assessment in single cell testing is addressed. Protocols to assess stack and system durability, dynamic behaviour and degradation in steady-state and accelerated stress tests are implemented. A protocol for stack failure analysis and procedures relating to safety issues and response plan as well as to the procedures for validation of quantitative project targets is established. Testing procedures for single cells, stacks and electrolysis systems under standard operating conditions are established in accordance with the Harmonised Testing Procedures by the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC). The collaboration with JRC addresses a further development of test protocols and procedures for performance and durability assessment of electrolysers operating at high pressure and temperatures. The project will provide information to JRC on safety aspects for advanced high temperature, high pressure electrolyser technology. Safety-related events that may occur during the execution of this project will be reported to JRC who manage the European hydrogen safety reference database, HIAD.

Figure 1 - ADVANCEPEM partners at the CNR-ITAE laboratories (Messina, 05/09/2023)