Small-scale turbomachinery for decentralized applications has recently been identified as an enabling technology toward a more sustainable energy landscape. Due to the small scale and the required accuracy, the manufacturing of gas-bearing supported compressors for heat pumps or PEM fuel cells, and turbines for organic Rankine cycles, or gas turbine engines coupled to solid oxide fuel cells, becomes more challenging. This is due to the small scale, the tight manufacturing tolerances, and uncertainty in the material selection. The main obstacle to deploying such systems, however, is the lack of an efficient manufacturing process for materials compatible with small-scale turbomachinery and capable of withstanding high temperatures in some applications. Therefore, this project focuses on the concurrent development of (1) system and component level design methodologies to identify designs that are robust towards manufacturing imperfections, variations in operating conditions, and uncertainty in material properties, (2) an integrated and sustainable manufacturing process platform, and (3) multi-material joining techniques to enable efficient production of small-scale turbomachinery and components. The goal will be achieved by establishing a network of Doctoral Candidates (DC) working in synergy on complementary topics and supported by highly qualified supervisors from European elite universities and research-intensive European companies.

Hydrogen has emerged as a key enabler in the transition to a clean energy system, as it generates zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions upon use. Water electrolysis powered by intermittent renewable energy sources is one of the most promising routes for green hydrogen production. Among the available electrolysers, the anion exchange membrane water electrolyser (AEMWE) has gained attention as a promising technology that enables the use of non-critical raw materials to build its components. However, its large-scale deployment is constrained by the limited efficiency and durability of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), the core component of the system. The HealMEA project, supported by the Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Actions programme, aims to develop a novel self-healing catalyst and MEA with enhanced durability and efficiency for AEMWEs. This will be achieved by transforming earth-abundant transition metals (e.g. Ni, Fe, Mo) into self-healing catalysts through the integration of intrinsic self-healing polymers (e.g. polydopamine, polyimine). Self-healing catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs) will then be fabricated using an innovative coating technique. The materials will be characterized using advanced real-time (in situ/operando) techniques. Their performance and durability will be validated under industrially relevant conditions during a secondment at VITO (Belgium). The project will generate new knowledge and enhance the efficiency and durability of AEMWEs. It will contribute to reducing stack costs, directly supporting the EU’s Green Deal, REPowerEU, and the EU Hydrogen Strategy for climate neutrality. The fellowship will also provide the researcher with cutting-edge expertise in catalyst/MEA engineering, in situ/operando characterization, and transferable skills for a career in sustainable energy technologies.

The way in which new materials for clean energy are designed is changing rapidly. Thanks to powerful computer simulations, scientists can study chemical processes that were previously too complex to examine in detail. Electrocatalysis is one of them, as it plays a central role in producing clean fuels like hydrogen. Today, advances in machine learning (ML) are transforming catalysis studies by bridging the gap between two fields: high-precision quantum calculations, which describe matter at the atomic level, and large-scale classical simulations, which reveal the statistical properties necessary for understanding reactivity. The ARCADE project will leverage these advances to create the first ML framework designed specifically to understand and predict electron transfer reactions, key chemical processes that determine how efficient a material is at driving electrocatalysis. This tool will enable the prediction of the most promising materials for designing improved electrodes, which are essential components of electrochemical reactions driven by sustainable energy. This knowledge will inform the development of more efficient and sustainable hydrogen energy production, tackling a major priority of the European Union in its urgent transition to greener energy sources. ARCADE will address three major scientific challenges to achieve this: (1) incorporating the effect of the electric field created by an electrode into an ML-based simulation framework; (2) developing a reliable, user-friendly method to realistically model electron transfer events; and (3) ensuring the models can be applied to a wide range of material compositions. ARCADE will be hosted at the COSMO laboratory at EPFL under the guidance of Prof. Michele Ceriotti, providing an ideal environment for scientific innovation, collaboration and personal growth. By combining cutting-edge computational methods with urgent societal needs, ARCADE will help to create cleaner energy solutions. Optimizing the performance of PECs requires a thorough understanding of the solid/electrolyte interface under operating conditions. These systems are challenging to probe experimentally, and most computational studies, while extremely useful, often ignore the experimentally relevant effect of the applied electrode potential. Moreover, the few approaches that allow the incorporation of bias in the simulations, come with several shortcomings, such as relying on implicit solvents or requiring the use of prohibitively large systems for the accurate modelling of semiconductors. With bismuth vanadate (BiVO?) as our model system, in this project we will leverage recent advances in computational chemistry to (i) develop and apply machine learning interatomic potentials to simulate BiVO? in contact with explicit water and selected electrolytes, (ii) examine the impact of electrode potential on interfacial structure and electronic properties, and (iii) explore water oxidation pathways using enhanced sampling techniques. This project will advance the atomic-scale modelling of electrochemical interfaces in realistic conditions through an integrated simulation framework, and will provide valuable insights into interfacial structures, electronic properties, and reaction mechanisms, that will guide the design of efficient, stable photoelectrodes.
https://doi.org/10.3030/101271904

SuMaCer will deliver sustainable, first?time?right manufacturing of functional ceramics for Net?Zero Energy Industry devices by integrating stereolithography (SLA), ceramic inkjet printing (CIP) and HiPIMS?PVD with Zero?Defect Manufacturing (ZDM), advanced modelling and a Digital Product Passport (DPP) backbone using open interfaces (OPC?UA, MQTT, REST). Three industrial?scale MVPs validate market relevance: (i) a 2?kW high?efficiency SOFC stack; (ii) a 3.5?kW ultra?compact SOEC stack for high?pressure operation; and (iii) a 1.5?kWh metal?supported sodium battery (MS?NaB) module. Demonstrations on pilot lines provided by Solydera, H2B2/IREC (Merce?Lab) and LiNa ensure validation under relevant industrial conditions; manufacturing routes will reach TRL?7 and MVPs TRL?6–7. Acceptance is underpinned by quantified KPIs: defect rate <5%, first?time?right ?95%, energy savings ?70%, material?waste reduction ?80%; CRM reduction is enabled via cobalt?free compositions and thin?film barrier/protective layers. Innovative metrology, a decision?support system and dynamic scheduling implement Detect?Predict?Prevent?Repair ZDM loops for faster ramp?up, higher OEE and lower scrap. Eco?design, LCA/LCC and recycling pathways (?50% recovery for key materials) embed circularity from the outset. Standardisation actions de?risk certification and foster EU?wide uptake and interoperability across equipment vendors and SMEs. Fully aligned with the Made in Europe Partnership and the call’s focus on advanced discrete manufacturing for strategic Net?Zero technologies (batteries, electrolysers, fuel cells), SuMaCer strengthens European industrial sovereignty, reducing strategic dependencies, building high?value skills and enabling sustainable manufacturing leadership, while providing a clear exploitation path towards the creation of a joint-venture for the market uptake through industrial pilots and supply?chain partnerships.

Europe’s climate-neutral transition needs rapid, cost-competitive PEM fuel-cell deployment, yet bipolar plates (BPPs), ~80% of stack weight and 40% of its cost, remain a bottleneck. Current supply depends on imported metallic/graphite plates, exposing EU value chains to risk. Composite BPPs (cBPPs) manufacturing is immature (long cycle times, high scrap rates, fragmented digital control). OEMs demand proven durability, certification-ready quality, and scalable, circular processes for both low- and high-temperature PEMFC. AIM-PLATES combines advanced forming, shaping with a ZERO-X digital backbone (digital twins, inline QA, adaptive control) under an SSbD framework, demonstrated on two complementary EU TRL7 pilot lines: Pilot 1 - thermoplastic/carbon - ultra-thin, high-performance, remanufacturable plates; Pilot 2 - bio-based thermoset/(graphite + biocarbon) - cost-effective, robust, renewable plates. Both lines target first-time-right, low-carbon manufacturing. Demonstrators in aviation (HT-PEMFC short stack) and road vehicle specifically light commercial vehicles (LT-PEMFC – primary; HT-PEMFC – early-use, short stacks) will prove manufacturability and integration, generate comparative datasets vs. incumbent solutions and de-risk adoption. The project spans seven work packages covering materials, processes, pilot-line development, the digital backbone, demonstrations, sustainability, standards road-mapping, skills, exploitation & market uptake, delivering new knowledge, validated industrial assets and an exploitation strategy aligned with NZIA, Clean Hydrogen JU SRIA, and Made in Europe. By 2030, AIM-PLATES will strengthen EU sovereignty in hydrogen technologies by reducing reliance on imported BPPs and fossil inputs, cutting CO2 per plate by up to 60%, and establishing replication pathways to electrolysers, flow batteries and other net-zero technologies, supporting circular, digitised, resilient value chains and Industry 5.0 skills in the EU.

Brightank develops a novel ammonia cracking catalyst to produce clean hydrogen. This project explores catalyst optimization and integration paths for industrial use, focusing on scalability and performance, to enable future development toward commercial applications.

This project will investigate aqueous semiconductor interfaces for water splitting applications, using advanced computational chemistry methods. Green hydrogen, produced from water electrolysis using renewable energy, is expected to play a key role in the energy transition and cover approximately 10% of the EU’s energy needs by 2050. One promising production route is using photoelectrochemical cells (PECs), where photogenerated charge carriers in semiconductor electrodes catalyse the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. However, the commercialization of PECs is hindered by low efficiencies, material instability, and cost. Optimizing the performance of PECs requires a thorough understanding of the solid/electrolyte interface under operating conditions. These systems are challenging to probe experimentally, and most computational studies, while extremely useful, often ignore the experimentally relevant effect of the applied electrode potential. Moreover, the few approaches that allow the incorporation of bias in the simulations, come with several shortcomings, such as relying on implicit solvents or requiring the use of prohibitively large systems for the accurate modelling of semiconductors. With bismuth vanadate (BiVO?) as our model system, in this project we will leverage recent advances in computational chemistry to (i) develop and apply machine learning interatomic potentials to simulate BiVO? in contact with explicit water and selected electrolytes, (ii) examine the impact of electrode potential on interfacial structure and electronic properties, and (iii) explore water oxidation pathways using enhanced sampling techniques. This project will advance the atomic-scale modelling of electrochemical interfaces in realistic conditions through an integrated simulation framework, and will provide valuable insights into interfacial structures, electronic properties, and reaction mechanisms, that will guide the design of efficient, stable photoelectrodes.
https://doi.org/10.3030/101271904

With the project we like to build hightly integrated components by 3d metal printing replacing the assembly of several individual elements like PTL, BPP, gaskets etc - as it is state of the art. By integration interface losses shall be avoided and thus the overall efficiency shall be improved.

The world is undergoing an energy transformation, with renewable sources gradually replacing fossil fuels. Hydrogen is a promising alternative, but current production methods are either carbon-intensive or inefficient. This project introduces a novel photothermal-assisted solar water splitting system that integrates a patent-pending plasmonic metasurface electrode to produce hydrogen directly from sunlight. Unlike conventional systems, our approach utilizes the full solar spectrum to create electricity and heat at the nanoscale, which drive the hydrogen producing water splitting reaction. Our tightly integrated system eliminates bulky optical and thermal components, radically reducing system complexity and cost. This is possible due to the unique properties of our metasurface electrode that achieves 60× higher sunlight absorption per unit thickness than comparable photothermal technologies and that can be fabricated using industry-standard, low-cost processes. In this project we aim to integrate our state-of-the-art photothermal metasurface into a scalable solar water splitting system to increase the solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency to more than 15%, which would make green hydrogen cost-competitive with fossil fuel-based approaches.

Advancing organic semiconductor (OS) heterojunctions for solar fuel production, particularly focusing on improving their long-term stability and performance, holds promise to make them viable candidates for inexpensive solar-driven hydrogen production on a global scale, however significant development remains required. The main goals of the project are to gain fundamental understanding of the stability limitations in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) OS photoelectrodes, to tune interfaces in BHJ photoelectrodes for enhanced stability, and to develop molecularly engineered OS materials with improved stability in aqueous environments. The project goals exceed the state of the art by addressing the critical challenge of long-term stability in OS-based solar fuel production systems, which has been a major bottleneck in their development and is typically ignored by current research efforts. Moreover, the project will answer fundamental questions not addressed by the research community on BHJ operation and degradation such as: What are the limits of BHJ operation under idealized conditions? Where is degradation occurring and which reactions lead to performance decrease? How does water/ion infiltration affect BHJ component crystallinity and photocurrent degradation during operation? The project aims to achieve unprecedented operational lifetimes of at least 1000 hours with less than 20% loss of initial photocurrent for overall solar-driven water splitting using a photoanode/photocathode tandem cell, which is an ambitious but reasonable goal, and sets the stage for the translation of the technology developed herein to economically appealing nanoparticle photocatalyst systems. The research approach is divided into two work packages (WPs) where WP1 focuses on understanding stability limitations and WP2 aims to engineer interfaces and materials for enhanced stability. Specific goals in WP1 are the development of a high-throughput long-term photoelectrochemical (PEC) measurement system to test the specific effects of environmental conditions (including dissolved oxygen concentration), employing advanced electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and intensity modulated photocurrent spectroscopy (IMPS) techniques with a new distribution of relaxation times (DRT) analysis, conducting post-mortem analysis via a recycling method that can also serve to improve scalability and reduce the costs of employing OSs, and examining water and ion infiltration in situ. In parallel, WP2 will investigate bilayer heterojunction photoelectrodes that have decreased disorder and likely less water infiltration, developing self-assembled monolayer (SAM) interlayers to enhance interfacial stability, establishing covalent linking of co-catalysts via photodeposition for robust inorganic/organic connectivity, and implementing molecular engineering strategies on polymer OSs for improved stability. The implementation of the work involves a systematic approach, starting with simple PEC model systems for rapid feedback and progressing to more complex engineered materials while ensuring that the materials and processing conditions are translatable to nanoparticle photocatalyst (PC) systems, which are considered more promising for economically viable hydrogen production. While the project is designed to provide fundamental insights into OS-water interfaces it also addresses practical challenges in solar fuel production. The interdisciplinary nature of the research, combining organic chemistry, semiconductor physics, and electrochemistry, is expected to yield broadly applicable insights and methodologies. By focusing on scalable, solution-processable materials and techniques, the project aims to ensure that its outcomes can be readily translated to industrial applications. This approach could potentially accelerate the commercialization of OS-based solar fuel technologies, contributing to the transition towards sustainable energy systems.

The IRENA’s 1.5°C Scenario highlights the critical need for substantial expansion of electrolysers to produce green hydrogen to meet increasing demand by 2030 and 2050. Large-scale deployment hinges on enhancing the efficiency, durability, and cost-effectiveness of hydrogen production technologies, particularly high-temperature solid oxide electrolysers (SOEL). However, SOEL technology faces significant challenges, specially material degradation, high cost and system instability. Achieving a target operational lifetime of over 40,000 hours requires innovative approaches to predict and mitigate degradation maximising performance, including accelerated stress tests and advanced modelling. Cost reduction strategies involving high-performance materials and innovative BoP designs are also essential. To address these challenges, ThunderStack aims to develop and validate a new sustainable SOEL concept combined with novel operation methods (AC:DC) for optimal thermal control. ThunderStack's solutions involve advanced materials to control microstructure and reduce degradation, optimizing manufacturing processes, and improving circularity through CRM recovery. The project will also focus on optimizing BoP components and operation modes to reduce CAPEX and OPEX. By achieving the ambitious KPIs and objectives, ThunderStack aims to make renewable hydrogen a viable and cost-effective energy vector, contributing to the broader goals of the IRENA’s 1.5°C Scenario.

HyCO² aims to revolutionize hydrogen compression technology by upscaling and demonstrating an innovative metal hydride (MH) compressor tailored for diverse application ranges across mobility, distribution, and industrial sectors. The project addresses the critical need for efficient, cost-effective, silent and environmentally sustainable compression solutions in a hydrogen-based economy. The central objective is the development of a modular MH compressor package capable of flexibly addressing varied pressure requirements, from 30 bar for industrial applications, to 300 bar for distribution, and up to 900 bar for mobility applications. This versatility will be validated with a full-scale prototype demonstrating high flow performance (30 kg H2 in 12 minutes at 900 bar) under real-world conditions at a dedicated research facility. To ensure environmental compatibility and long-term sustainability, HyCO² aims to select and integrate a non-toxic, highly recyclable, and abundantly available metal hydride alloy offering superior performance and durability. The project will further explore cost reduction strategies through effective waste heat utilisation and advanced thermal management techniques by means of a sophisticated simulation toolchain, significantly lowering the operational costs of hydrogen compression in targeted applications. In parallel, an innovative hydrogen-based heat box will be developed to enhance the compressor’s flexibility and operational efficiency across various environments and configurations. By tackling key challenges in hydrogen compression, HyCO² directly supports the objectives of the Clean Hydrogen JU’s Annual Work Programme, particularly the advancement of robust, scalable, and sustainable hydrogen technologies. The outcomes of HyCO² will accelerate market readiness and deployment of hydrogen distribution and refueling infrastructure, contributing Europe’s transition toward a low-carbon economy.

The hydrogen network is crucial for the European society and any failure or damage could potentially have an enormous negative impact. Due to the rapidly evolving threat and geopolitical landscape, especially with incidents like the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas infrastructure, organizations overseeing critical infrastructure face significant challenges. To face manmade and natural hazards aggravated by climate change, it is crucial to implement resilience-enhancing measures. Hydrogen can be integrated into the natural gas network to advance a low-carbon economy, but first certain technical and regulatory challenges need to be addressed. Blended gas networks must ensure safe and efficient operation while meeting energy demand requirements. The establishment of a universal limit for hydrogen within the European gas infrastructure is challenging due to uncertainties regarding material integrity. SHIELD proposal will enhance the management of hydrogen injection in blended gas networks by expanding our understanding of hydrogen projects along with their associated risks. SHIELD proposes innovative risk assessment methods and solutions to enhance security and reduce risks of natural hazards such as floods, landslides, wildfires, and earthquakes, and cyber-attacks on pipelines transporting hydrogen. This will be accomplished by mapping hydrogen facilities across Europe, identifying their vulnerability, developing an automated threat detection approach to promptly indicate incidents to both critical infrastructure owners and member states authorities, identify strategies for effectively managing a blended gas network ensuring the safe integration of hydrogen into natural gas infrastructure.

The present proposal tackles some of the most pressing challenges of our time, by introducing a general approach to design environmental remediation strategies for the mitigation of climate change and the circular economy of water. The overarching idea of the proposal is to use food protein amyloids sourced from food waste and food industry side streams as main building blocks for the intended technologies, therefore offering remediation strategies operating with only minimal carbon footprint in water purification, CO2 capture/conversion and clean H2 production for zero-emission energy technologies (e.g. fuel cells). Specifically, amyloid fibrils derived from proteins extracted from industrial side-streams such as in soy, dairy, and oilcrop industries, will serve simultaneously as templates (for the synthesis) and scaffolds (for the support) for organic-inorganic hybrid catalysts based on single-site, nanoclusters and nanoparticles. These scaffolds/templates will be engineered in the forms of amyloid hydrogels/aerogels/membranes which will then be functionalized by the inorganic catalysts by impregnation techniques or in-situ green synthetic strategies. The resulting hybrid catalysts will operate by electrochemical, photochemical and thermochemical heterogeneous catalysis in three working packages corresponding to three distinct PhD theses, each focusing on either: i) water purification from organic pollutants, ii) CO2 reduction into valuable compounds and iii) H2 production by water splitting. In the first WP/PhD we will target organic chemical compounds occurring in wastewater such as pesticides, PFAS and antibiotics which will be catalytically degraded into less harmful compounds first by lab-scale model reactions, and then via a newly designed photocatalytic reactor prototype. In the second WP/PhD, CO2 will be reduced into useful chemical compounds such as alcohols, oxygenates, and hydrocarbons; Finally, the third WP/PhD will produce clean H2 by hydrogen evolution reactions following photocatalytic and electrocatalytic processes scalable into industrial electrolyzer systems. By repurposing food waste into versatile amyloid materials which play the double role of templates and scaffolds for hybrid catalytic materials, this proposal aims at designing close-to-zero carbon footprint environmental technologies, which may also address some of the classical drawbacks of traditional heterogeneous catalysis, in particular, by allowing a transition from batch catalysis to continuous catalysis.

The aviation industry is under pressure to move away from fossil fuels and adopt cleaner energy. If successful, this shift would help airlines meet their long-term environmental targets. Solid oxide electrolysis (SOE) technology is a promising solution for producing sustainable aviation fuel via Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis. However, scaling up this technology has proven challenging. The EU-funded SAFphyre project aims to lift the obstacles hindering the scaling up of the SOE FT technology. Specifically, it will improve cell performance, energy efficiency, and heat integration while reducing costs, demonstrating the technology, and addressing key technical difficulties.

H2SCORE aims to demonstrate how integrated Fuel Cell and Hydrogen (FCH) technologies can enable the next generation of Renewable Energy Communities (RECs), enhancing their decarbonisation, resilience, and energy autonomy. The project combines low-temperature (PEM electrolyser, metal hydride storage, PEM fuel cell) and high-temperature (reversible Solid Oxide Cell powered by syngas from local biomass) hydrogen systems in a modular, replicable setup. The concept will be demonstrated in the operational Valsesia REC (Quarona, Italy). The system will be fully integrated with the local electrical grid and District Heating Network, enabling sector coupling, and managed through an advanced Energy Management System aimed at multi-vector (electricity, heat, hydrogen, biomass) optimisation and oriented towards REC-specific objectives. A portable hydrogen-powered fuel cell genset will also be deployed for temporary or mobile use cases. This first-of-its-kind H2-REC will operate at TRL7 through a 12-month demonstration campaign, also including on-site detection of pollutant emissions and hydrogen leakages. A cloud-based monitoring tool will track REC KPIs in real time, support stakeholder engagement, and promote replicability. H2SCORE modelling framework integrates techno-economic, environmental, regulatory, safety, and social dimensions to guide both H2-REC impacts assessment and replication strategy. Four replication studies (Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Canada) will test the concept across different geographies, user needs, regulatory environments, and both on- and off-grid settings. The project builds on previous EU-funded FCH projects and leverages the complementary expertise of 15 partners, fostering synergies with relevant EU and national initiatives to scale up hydrogen-ready RECs across Europe and beyond.

The SUNPEROM project aims to transform renewable energy by developing a solar-driven system for direct methanol synthesis from atmospheric CO2. The primary objective is to achieve a Solar-to-Methanol efficiency exceeding 12% through the creation of an innovative, cost-effective tandem device. This device features a high-voltage perovskite-perovskite solar conversion stack and an advanced near-infrared (NIR) photocatalyst-mixed gas diffusion layer for efficient CO2 capture and conversion, utilizing the full solar spectrum. Taking a high-risk, high-reward approach, SUNPEROM targets significant breakthroughs in solar fuel production technology, delivering green methanol at a competitive price. The technology integrates diverse renewable energy components, including high-voltage all-perovskite tandem solar cells, NIR photocatalysts, solid-state CO2 capture, and direct electroreduction of CO2, representing a comprehensive approach to solar fuel production. The project emphasizes advancing cutting-edge technologies and contributing to a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions economy. To elevate the Technology Readiness Level (TRL), the project includes plans for standardized validation of the SUNPEROM tandem device, with a clear focus on moving beyond the conceptual stage towards practical implementation. Environmental and social impacts are also prioritized, with a thorough Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) planned to assess sustainability. Additionally, the proposal benchmarks SUNPEROM against current commercial technologies, aiming to surpass existing performance standards, reduce production costs, minimize land use, and achieve a low energy payback time for sustainable solar fuel production. Regulatory compliance is a key aspect, ensuring alignment with current policies for a smooth transition to commercialization.

Imaging of biological and non-biological materials in all fields of research relies on cutting edge sample preparation technologies. This is particularly true for combining various X-ray and EM-based imaging and diffraction methods, with different dimensions and spatial resolution. For X-ray imaging, sample preparation involves thinning of bulky specimens to <100 um pillars. For EM-based imaging approaches, um-scale objects must be thinned to 10-200 nm thin lamellae to allow electrons to permeate the volume of the material. To enable advanced analysis of hard materials, soft organic materials and biological samples by X-ray imaging and electron microscopy (EM) there is a need to implement a focused ion beam scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM) instrument capable of thinning samples of large volumes while providing the required precision. For studies of crystalline or non-crystalline radiation sensitive materials, both in materials science and in biology, the milling instrument must be equipped with a cryo-stage and a transfer system to safely handle the specimen. The use of plasma (Xe-ions or other atomic species) will allow for fast milling of large sample volumes without chemical reactions with the sample material. The downstream applications will depend on the specific projects and samples of interest, in materials and life science, and will range from EM, cryo-EM (cryo-electron tomography) to electron diffraction and X-ray tomography. Here we propose to establish a state-of-the-art cryo-PFIB-SEM platform at the Paul Scherrer Institute, necessary to prepare hard and soft material samples, in order to address the needs of some of the most challenging projects aiming at high-resolution investigations using both X-ray imaging and EM-based approaches. The instrument essential for utilizing the unique capabilities of PSI in X-ray imaging, allowing us to develop new state of the art approaches for correlative imaging of diverse specimens by X-rays, visible light and electrons. The ideal instrument will be equipped with a plasma source (Xe, O, Ar, N) for rapid removal of the matter, enabling FIB-milling and SEM imaging at ambient or cryogenic temperature. Additionally, a room temperature and cryo-lift-out capability for micromanipulation of the sample of interest, combined with shuttles to take out milled specimen either under cryo-temperature or in inert gas atmosphere will be an essential part of the instrument. An integrated light microscope will be necessary for correlative imaging of biological specimens. The instrument will be located at the Paul Scherrer Institute and will be integrated in the instrument park of the PSI EM facility.

Hydrogen is key to achieving decarbonization targets, but its large-scale adoption depends on establishing trust in its safety. SAFE-H2 addresses this by deploying AI-enabled smart valves as intelligent safety nodes, combining edge-cloud intelligence, predictive safety, and real-world validation.

Our highly integrated, low-cost photothermal-assisted solar water splitting system uses a patent-pending metasurface to produce hydrogen directly from sunlight. By utilizing the full solar spectrum, it targets an efficiency of > 15%, making green hydrogen a viable alternative to fossil fuels.

Electrochemical water splitting (WS) offers a promising pathway for hydrogen production and the storage of zero-carbon electricity generated from intermittent and non-dispatchable renewable sources. Among emerging technologies, anion exchange membrane water electrolysers (AEMWEs) stand out as the most promising systems for efficient WS. However, their broader adoption is hindered by the limited efficiency and durability of current WS catalysts. Supported by the Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Actions programme, the INNOSHEAL project will develop novel, sustainable WS catalysts with enhanced durability and efficiency, enabled by innovative self-healing properties. The project will use advanced catalyst design strategies, incorporating high densities of Fe-, Mo-, and Ni-based catalytic sites, along with auxiliary systems that promote self-repair through subnanometric chalcogenide layers.

The electrolysis of water for hydrogen production and subsequent electricity generation from the accumulated hydrogen using fuel cells is a promising direction in renewable energy. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and electrolyzers (SOEs), operating above 300 °C, demonstrate rapid electrode kinetics, particularly proton-conductor-based SOFCs (PCSOFCs). However, such fuel cells are limited in long-term stability due to thermal stress. Ceramic devices operating between 150-250 °C could exhibit rapid electrode kinetics, even without Pt-based catalysts, yet avoid damage from thermal stress. Unfortunately, ceramic proton conductors (PrCs) capable of operating in this temperature range have not been identified to date. We propose a basic science research project aimed at identifying and characterizing the causal relationship between local structure and the dynamics of protons in the lattice of hydrated --/ (LCO), with or without co-doping. To this end, we shall investigate the following: (i) the location of protons in the LCO crystal lattice; (ii) the dynamics of protons in LCO (i.e., proton-phonon coupling) , including determining the enthalpy of binding of the protons as well as identifying descriptors (factors) that define proton mobility as a function of composition; (iii) dependence of the hydration process on grain size and the structure of grain boundaries. Achieving these goals will lead to the development of a strategy to maximize proton conductivity in LCO-based ceramics and thin films. The project aims to provide essential information about the local structure of hydrated fluorites and pyrochlores, data which are currently unavailable, and to broaden the horizon for the development of proton-conducting ceramics. This, in turn, opens up new perspectives in hydrogen technology and renewable energy based on electrolyzers and PCSOFCs operating below 200 °C. Moreover, LCO ceramics are suitable for microfabrication and are also biocompatible, presenting potential application in portable electronics and implantable fuel cells. The project will utilize innovative ceramic hydration methodology, based on a purpose-designed hydration chamber (Israeli PI), and state-of-the-art structural analysis methods (Swiss PI). Since the positions of protons in a crystal lattice are not detectable by commonly used techniques (X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, or NMR), we will leverage the expertise of the Swiss PI in neutron diffraction (ND) and inelastic/quasi-elastic neutron scattering (INS, QENS) for studying ceramic proton conductors. The division of work will capitalize on the complementary expertise of the PIs, who have had a mutually productive collaborative experience during the Swiss PI's sabbatical in the laboratory of the Israeli PI. Preparation of ceramics and thin films and their electrical characterization will be conducted at WIS. Hydration (or deuteration) will also take place in Israel, with an effective arrangement for similar processing just prior to measurement at the neutron sources. Neutron diffraction/scattering experiments will be carried out by the Swiss team, with participation of students from the Israeli group. Preliminary experiments demonstrate that LCO ceramics with high levels of hydration (˜ 40%) can be prepared without mechanical disintegration, while electrical measurements suggest proton mobility upon hydration.

DT-HATS focuses on the decarbonization of the heavy-duty transport sector – which is currently responsible for over 30% of the sector CO2 emissions – by exploiting the combination of green hydrogen and ammonia with their technical and economic potentials. The project will offer a systematic training to the recruited doctoral candidates who will produce new knowledge in ammonia and hydrogen flow and reacting processes realized in powertrains used for transport and efficient utilization in the H2 ecosystems. The overall aim is to: research H2 and NH? as fuels from a fundamental level to build a detailed database; develop new validated CFD models specific for H2 and NH?, enhanced with ML for faster, predictive design; create reduced-order models based on multi-fidelity CFD-ML data and experiments for efficient exploration of H2 and NH? ecosystems, from component level like injectors to system level like engines, to aid decarbonization in transport sectors. Ultimately, DT-HATS through its research and training programs at the intersection of energy engineering and computational science will strength digital skills and expertise of young scientists and entrepreneurs to tackle present and future challenges and will also promote green e-fuels adoption in transport, boosting renewable energy growth.

The number of hydrogen refuelling stations (HRS) in the European Union (EU) willincrease significantly over the coming years, as stipulated in the EU Regulation 2023/1804on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure. The hydrogen refuellinginfrastructure is maturing rapidly: achieving higher flow rates for fast heavy duty refuelling,tapping into new hydrogen sources to guarantee sufficient supply, and reducing downtimeto cope with the increasing demand. To support these developments, this project aims todevelop metrology infrastructure and provide new measurement standards, methods, andbest practices for measurement of both hydrogen quality and quantity.

Hydrogen is a central pillar of the energy transition and energy and mobility strategies. Storage in liquid form by cooling is a basic technology for various applications, such liquefaction is usually carried out in large-scale plants. However, decentral hydrogen production is increasing and subsequently the demand for decentralized storage is also increasing, which requires smaller liquefaction plants and thus more compact low-temperature cryocoolers for hydrogen liquefaction, which are not available and Little research is available. This project investigates the feasibility of smaller capacity cryocoolers and provides an energy comparison with existing large-scale liquefaction plants.

The implementation of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) for heavy-duty transportation requires significant durability improvements and cost reductions that pass by decreasing the Pt-loading in PEFC-anodes to = 20 µgPt·cm-2 without compromising their service life. While the ultra-fast kinetics of the H2-oxidation reaction on Pt imply that such ultralow Pt-loadings shall not have a detrimental effect on the beginning-of-life PEFC performance, their impact on the device’s durability remains largely un-explored. This is particularly critical when considering the gross H2-starvation (GHS-) events that can affect a given cell within a PEFC-stack, and that trigger temporary excursions to very high potentials (> 1.5 V vs. the standard hydrogen electrode (SHE)) that cause a remarkable performance deteriora-tion due to the corrosion of the catalyst’s carbon support. Most importantly, preliminary experiments at PSI have unveiled that GHS is particularly damaging for PEFC-anodes with = 20 µgPt·cm-2, since the high potentials reached during these events do not decay as soon as the H2-supply is re-established, thus causing extensive anode damage. With this motivation, the first part of this project will study in detail how the operative conditions (like temperature or H2-pressure) and anode components (e.g., presence / absence of an O2-evolution catalyst) affect the duration of this high potential trapped state and its subsequent damage to the PEFC-performance. Subsequently, the second part will deal with the synthesis, cell implementation and electrochemical testing of a novel type of C-free, TiO2-core / Pt-shell (TiO2@Pt) catalyst with a Ti-oxide overcoating that should eradicate this trapped state while al-lowing the manufacture of anodes with = 20 µgPt·cm-2.

The Anion Exchange Membrane Electrolyser (AEMEL) demonstrates potential advantages compared with the more established Alkaline Electrolyser and Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyser in easing the cell design, and lowering capital and operating expenditures. Nevertheless, AEMEL faces challenges due to its poor durability and low efficiency, which demands further research and innovation in Membrane-Electrode-Assembly (MEA) optimisation and cell design. Furthermore, coupling the AEMEL with industry requires another technological challenge in producing direct pressurised hydrogen to the end user. Taking the aforementioned challenges into consideration, ENDURION’s main objective is to develop an efficient, durable, low-cost pressurised AEMEL through the synergistic approach of MEA materials development and novel cell design employing exclusively earth-abundant materials and up-scalable processing. Learning from the previous progress of main EU projects on AEMEL, ENDURION addresses the AEMEL challenges through integrating recent advances in materials science, modern characterisations and processing tools, data-driven optimisation through machine learning, internal and external AEMEL components designed for electrochemical compression. Systematic works on novel materials development of sustainable porous transport layer, CRM-free catalysts, ionic liquid co-catalysts and environmentally benign bioresource membrane, along with novel up-scalable AEMEL cell and stack design will be the main tasks. ENDURION is expected to demonstrate an innovative pressurised AEMEL with a 30 % improved efficiency and 30 % more durable, at H2 production cost reaches EUR 450 /kg H2 It is also projected that ENDURION’s outcomes in the long run will contribute to an increased market share of AEMEL for the production of green hydrogen, reduced global carbon emission, a reduction of the European dependency on critical raw materials.

The Anion Exchange Membrane Electrolyser (AEMEL) demonstrates potential advantages compared with the more established Alkaline Electrolyser and Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyser in easing the cell design, and lowering capital and operating expenditures. Nevertheless, AEMEL faces challenges due to its poor durability and low efficiency, which demands further research and innovation in Membrane-Electrode-Assembly (MEA) optimisation and cell design. Furthermore, coupling the AEMEL with industry requires another technological challenge in producing direct pressurised hydrogen to the end user. Taking the aforementioned challenges into consideration, ENDURION’s main objective is to develop an efficient, durable, low-cost pressurised AEMEL through the synergistic approach of MEA materials development and novel cell design employing exclusively earth-abundant materials and up-scalable processing. Learning from the previous progress of main EU projects on AEMEL, ENDURION addresses the AEMEL challenges through integrating recent advances in materials science, modern characterisations and processing tools, data-driven optimisation through machine learning, internal and external AEMEL components designed for electrochemical compression. Systematic works on novel materials development of sustainable porous transport layer, CRM-free catalysts, ionic liquid co-catalysts and environmentally benign bioresource membrane, along with novel up-scalable AEMEL cell and stack design will be the main tasks. ENDURION is expected to demonstrate an innovative pressurised AEMEL with a 30 % improved efficiency and 30 % more durable, at H2 production cost reaches EUR 450 /kg H2 It is also projected that ENDURION’s outcomes in the long run will contribute to an increased market share of AEMEL for the production of green hydrogen, reduced global carbon emission, a reduction of the European dependency on critical raw materials.

NIAGARA’s project intends to make a significant contribution to the development of a sustainable process chain, involving the shaping and procurement of openly available EU biogenic wastes (wastewaters, digestate, sewage sludge etc.), a production of carbohydrate-rich microalgae , an innovative continuous and flexible HTC process to convert the mix of biogenic wastes and microalgae into a solid fraction (hydrochar) and an aqueous phase that will in turn be converted into an advanced biofuel (a biogenic syngas rich in hydrogen) via gasification and aqueous phase reforming. Subsequent syngas cleaning processes are envisaged to ensure a full compatibility of the syngas to the solid oxide fuel cells. NIAGARA’s value chain will feature a very low carbon balance with a strong potential to become carbon negative overtime. NIAGARA will dramatically improve advanced biofuel production by combining complementary scientific and industrial know-how while fostering various promising market applications (e.g. fuel cells). the NIAGARA methodology, which derives from the ambitious idea of producing advanced biofuels from EU-widely available biomasses and wastes on a fully circular basis, making this value chain ultimately sustainable. The main market application that is sought in the NIAGARA project is the generation of electricity using highly efficient SOFC. This implies (i) individually developing key innovative and carbon-efficient processes, (ii) assessing their performances (carbon footprints, energy balance and production yields), and (iii) demonstrating their integration and global compatibility to reach the objective of negative carbon emission on the biofuel production chain up to the generation of electricity. NIAGARA will contribute towards lowering the technological, economic, and social barriers faced by the development of the contemplated processes at TRL5. The outcome of this work will contribute directly and significantly to EU’s overall renewal energy targets.

PEM water electrolysers (PEMWE) and PEM fuel cell (PEMFC) technologies currently rely on perfluorinated sulfonic acid (PFSA)-based materials and components, which pose significant health and environmental risks due to the release of toxic fluorine groups during production and disposal. Moreover, the production of PFSA remains costly, compounding the challenges associated with their use. Therefore, the ECOPEM project aims at developing safe-by-design, non-fluorinated hydrocarbon-based membranes, reinforcements, and ionomers. This ambitious work will be facilitated by the development and implementation of life cycle thinking tools addressing environmental and economic dimensions to drive the research and innovation using quantifiable sustainability criteria. ECOPEM will deliver scientific breakthroughs in the design and processing of materials, components and membrane electrode assembles (MEAs) enabling replacement of PFSAs by hydrocarbon-based polymers in membranes and catalyst layers. The project will validate the significant benefits of these MEAs by demonstrating an increased current density, reaching a minimum of 3 A cm-2 at a cell voltage of 1.8 V and degradation rate < 5V/h for PEMWE cells; and a power density > 1.5 W/cm2 at 0.650 V and a degradation rate < 5 V/h for PEMFC using harmonized JRC testing procedures. Achieving these ambitious targets would result in a new standard for hydrocarbon-based MEAs for PEMWE and PEMFC applications.

This project targets the development and testing of high-temperature materials and thermal energy storage for solar fuel production plants and solar process heat supply at up to 1500 °C, focusing on new material innovation, design optimisation, and scalable deployment.

Heavy-duty vehicles, machinery, aircraft, and ships contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants. To support decarbonisation, new fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia are being explored, raising questions about their impact on harmful emissions. The EU-funded LowC project will investigate the effects of these new fuels on air pollutants and climate-driving emissions in high-power engines. It will also assess upstream emissions and secondary pollutants under various atmospheric conditions. The project will use advanced technologies, including an engine emission facility for testing low- or zero-carbon fuels on real engines, oxidation flow reactors for atmospheric simulations, and innovative methods for real-time exhaust characterisation. Ultimately, it will evaluate the health and environmental impacts of these fuels.

The application of hydrogen in the sector of heavy-duty mobility is of paramount important in order to reach carbon neutrality. The present project aims at developing and operating the first full-scale hydrogen refueling station (HRS) based on a metal hydrides compressor (HyCo).

Balance of Plant (BoP) systems are crucial for the stable and efficient operation of fuel cell systems. Optimising BoP components and overall system characteristics is key to enhancing performance, durability, and cost efficiency. The EU-funded BeBoP project aims to improve the efficiency and durability of fuel cell systems for heavy-duty applications while reducing the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). The project will focus on advancing key BoP components, including air compression, humidification, and DC-DC conversion. Performance testing will be conducted using a fuel cell engine or test bench. These advancements will optimise both individual components and the overall system, emphasising improved performance, increased durability, and reduced costs.

This project supports net-zero strategies driven by governments and companies by developing a compact, cost-effective, domestic and modular gas measurement node to monitor blended gas. It combines MEMS-based spectrometry and ultrasound technology to determine gas flow and calorific value.

The push for novel green energy sources, solutions, and innovations has sparked growing interest in hydrogen, particularly green hydrogen fuel. However, despite this increased interest and the emergence of new solutions, the novelty of the concept means most production methods remain inefficient or underdeveloped. The EU-funded HyPrAEM project aims to develop a groundbreaking Anion Exchange Membrane Electrolyser stack and a layout capable of producing hydrogen at unprecedented gauge pressures. This would enable direct integration into various processes used by the thermochemical industry. Additionally, the project will leverage green energy and storage solutions to advance the technology while ensuring high efficiency and sustainability.

The transition to renewable electricity is vital for decarbonising industries, but energy storage remains a challenge. Current technologies are either energy-inefficient or incompatible with the catalytic processes needed for long-term storage. To address this issue, the EU-funded HYPPER project will integrate process intensification with innovative molecular catalysis. The project will develop a compact, high-efficiency reactor that combines liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) storage with proton-ceramic steam-electrolysis/fuel-cell technology. This system promises to improve energy storage, potentially achieving over 75 % round-trip efficiency while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. HYPPER’s scalable, load-flexible design will enhance sustainability in the energy sector and contribute to the widespread adoption of renewable energy systems.

As the world strives to combat climate change, the need for sustainable energy solutions has never been greater. Green hydrogen is seen as a key element in decarbonising various sectors, but existing production methods are often expensive and energy-intensive. Additionally, producing green hydrogen from seawater remains a challenge due to the corrosive nature of saltwater and the need for efficient, low-cost systems. To address these issues, the EU-funded ASTERISK problem will integrate seawater treatment with green hydrogen production using an anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyser which is free of platinum group metal (PGM). The project focuses on developing AEM stack components that are stable and compatible under saline conditions. Overall, ASTERISK strives to support the EU’s renewable energy and carbon neutrality goals.

A key benefit of liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) technology is its ability to convert hydrogen gas into a stable liquid energy carrier, significantly improving storage, transport and distribution. The EU-funded PeCATHS project aims to develop an integrated long-term energy storage system using hydrogen in LOHCs, combined with innovative biomass conversion. This approach will enable the direct transfer of hydrogen from biomass to LOHCs without gas production and generate high-value chemicals, enhancing both sustainability and efficiency. The project uses biomass as a hydrogen source and solar power as a renewable energy source, simplifying integration and reducing costs compared to conventional systems. It addresses the urgent need for sustainable energy storage, transport and distribution.

InsigH2t aims to advance the current scientific understanding regarding the effect of pressure on the turbulent burning rate, thermoacoustic response, and emissions performance of premixed hydrogen flames under relevant gas-turbines operating conditions. Hydrogen, with its high diffusivity and reactivity, poses significant challenges to its clean and efficient utilisation as a fuel in gas-turbines, due to the lack of understanding of its pressure-dependent turbulent burning rate, crucial for combustion stability in gas-turbines operation. InsigH2t leverages high-pressure experimental measurements, featuring advanced optical diagnostics, coupled to cutting-edge direct numerical simulations, focusing on a selection of simple canonical flames that are paradigms of more complex industrial burner geometries and configurations. The fundamental insights gained will facilitate the development of advanced models and enhanced design tools, empowering industrial OEMs to reduce the significant development time and costs of hydrogen combustion technologies. By leveraging science-based predictive capabilities, InsigH2t aims to accelerate the deployment of clean, reliable, and efficient hydrogen-fired gas turbines. The project's impact extends beyond scientific understanding, addressing directly relevant industry challenges. Crucially, the involvement of two gas turbine OEMs ensures full alignment with the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda of the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, facilitating the swift transfer of improved combustion methodologies and understanding towards application in operational power plants. Ultimately, InsigH2t's contributions align fully with the objectives of the EU Green Deal, reducing dependency on fossil fuels and offering a tangible pathway towards a more sustainable energy future. Key Data

The waterborne transport sector, one of the largest contributors to emissions, requires technologies to enhance efficiency and reduce emissions. The EU-funded SEASTARS project aims to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 30 % by 2030 (compared to 2008 levels) and improve energy efficiency by 20 % (relative to 2022) across eight vessel designs, including four retrofits and four new builds for inland, short-distance, and high-seas shipping. The project will deploy innovative technologies such as propeller-hull optimisation, air lubrication, fuel cells, electric motors, solar panels, and alternative fuels like biofuels, hydrogen, and ammonia. Using Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), SEASTARS will enable shipowners to evaluate emissions and efficiency, develop decarbonisation strategies, and make well-informed investment decisions.

For reasons of efficiency, power density and service life, PEM fuel cells require an over-stoichiometric supply of compressed and humidified fresh air. Nowadays, oil-free, air-bearing turbomachines are used for this purpose. The power requirement of these turbomachines leads to a significant drop in the efficiency of PEM fuel cell systems as the load increases, which is particularly detrimental to high-load applications (e.g. commercial vehicles, mobile machinery, marine) in terms of operating costs and cooling requirements. In this project, the use of an alternative charging system as the core of the air supply is to be researched: the pressure wave supercharger. In principle, this technology enables an efficient supply of compressed air and offers the potential to recover moisture. For this purpose, a pressure wave supercharger is specifically designed and built for the boundary conditions of PEM fuel cells and operated under fuel cell-relevant boundary conditions.

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) based hydrogen fuel cell systems (FCSs) in mobility applications require an air supply with a compressor. In the 70-120 kW FCS power class, several key challenges including, turbine modularity, cost and efficiency trade-offs at current market volumes and high efficiency requirements hinder the adoption of FC technology in this power class. This project targets to solve these problems by expanding a novel gas bearing technology to this power class through developing and employing building blocks including turbine from a high-power baseline compressor. This approach enables the development of a compressor system for medium-power FCs offering superior efficiency and optimized costs at current market volumes, while also quantifying its impact on overall system performance. The research results from this project shall allow the fuel cell research and development community to improve system designs through improved efficiency and costs thereby accelerating the adoption of fuel cell technology and enabling a substantial CO2 emission reduction. Besides the environmental upsides, these research results also promote innovation in the swiss high-tech industry sector for sustainable energy solutions.

Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) has led to the shutdown of an important pipeline delivering gas to Switzerland and hydrogen is involved in the process of SCC. The implication of hydrogen generated by cathodic protection needs to be clarified to take operational measures with respect to minimizing the risk. The assessment of the key parameters affecting hydrogen loading and diffusion is additional-ly relevant for assessing the possible future problems with transporting hydrogen in pipelines.

Ammonia is a worldwide primary chemical with an annual production of over 150 Mtons, which is expected to increase in demand due to its use as a hydrogen vector and fuel in shipping. However, current production, starting from fossil fuels as the source of hydrogen, significantly impacts CO2 emissions. The project aims to develop an integrated technology of green ammonia distributed production (to use the local resources of green energy in place of fossil fuels) and its on-site catalytic cracking (for example, on ships), with all the CET partnership members with a pilot plant that will be built and utilized in EU. The overall aim of the project is thus to develop up to TRL 6 the process of distributed green ammonia production with the technology of ammonia catalytic cracking to offer clients the options of using green ammonia as energy or hydrogen carrier. The aim is to develop the technologies that are still unavailable at this TRL level. Thus, the production of H2 by electrolysis and the transport/storage of ammonia do not fall within this objective. Together with the thermal catalytic cracking of ammonia, the objective is also to develop a novel electrocatalytic route, offering a series of potential advantages for on-site uses.

Zero emission energy conversion technologies are an important component in Switzerland’s long-term climate strategy and its desired path to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to become net zero by 2050. The production of green hydrogen via alkaline water electrolysis is a key reaction for such an energy landscape on which further technologies critically rely on (e.g. methanol production through CO2 hydrogenation). The development of stable, yet inexpensive (based on earth-abundant elements) electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) remains a challenge for large-scale alkaline water electrolysis and is therefore the key focus of the current proposal. Within this project we aim to develop a new class of active, yet inexpensive catalysts, i.e., iron-based, negative charge transfer oxides based on iron, for alkaline OER. In addition to making fun-damental advances in material design, the electrocatalysts developed in this project will be integrat-ed into a large-scale electrolysis setup, in which their competitiveness with state-of-the-art catalysts will be critically assessed from both performance and economic perspectives.

This research project seeks to advance our understanding of catalyst stability during various electrochemical reactions, potentially leading to more efficient and durable catalysts for important chemical processes. The aim is to comprehensively address stability concerns through advanced catalyst synthesis strategies. This will be linked with the development and refinement of experimental methods and electrocatalyst analyses, with particular emphasis on in situ and operando techniques. Last but not least, we will apply machine learning strategies for guiding the synthesis as well as to develop experimental and computational models in a data-driven approach. The imminent goal is to reduce or replace the use of scarce platinum group metals (PGMs in the respective processes. On a broader scale, the obtained experimental results will improve our theoretical understanding of catalyst stability and help to develop theoretical models for catalyst degradation, eventually contributing to establishing a descriptor-based approach to catalyst stability. In the proposal, we address three essential energy conversion reactions, the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and the selective glucose oxidation reaction (GOR). Oxygen Reduction Reaction: This reaction is the limiting process for hydrogen fuel cells and currently Pt-based catalysts are state-of-the-art. The project focuses on Pt-based, compositionally complex solid solution nanoparticles. The goal is to explore the stability of these catalysts during the acidic ORR with a focus on compositional and structural changes of the active phase. The investigations will involve the use of in situ and operando XAS, SAXS, XRD, and total scattering measurements. The work constitutes work package one (WP1). It will be executed by one PhD student (48 months), and a Postdoctoral researcher (24 months) employed by Prof. Rebecca Pittkowski at the University of Copenhagen. Several visits of the Postdoctoral researcher and PhD student between the University of Copenhagen and the University of Bern are planned. Oxygen Evolution Reaction: The oxygen evolution reaction is the limiting reaction for water electrolysis providing green hydrogen, which is the starting point for sustainable chemicals and fuels. The lack of stable, active, and scalable catalysts for the OER under acidic conditions is one of the most important challenges for electrocatalysis today. In the project, we focus on MnOx-based catalysts. The primary objective is to examine doping approaches as well as introducing structural barriers to metal dissolution during the OER. This part constitutes WP2 and will be executed by one PhD student who will benefit from the work of the Postdoctoral researcher employed in WP1. Selective Glucose Oxidation Reaction: The third part of the project, WP3, concentrates on the selective GOR using both Au-based compositionally complex solid solution nanoparticles and porous metal foams as catalysts. The main emphasis here is to investigate the mechanisms behind catalyst degradation, specifically related to metal dissolution and side product formation. By gaining insights into these degradation mechanisms, the project aims to enhance the stability and longevity of these catalysts. WP3 will be executed by one PhD student. The closely related topic will allow synergetic effects with the work in WP1 and WP2.

Hydrogen will be important in achieving secure energy systems with net-zero emissions by providing seasonal storage for the grid and enabling synthetic fuels for industry. However, domestic value chains and international markets need policy support to accelerate their development. This project investigates which hydrogen policies are needed in Switzerland through a domestic and an international lens. First, import and domestic value chains are compared through techno-economic modeling. Then, strategic options for Switzerland to join international hydrogen markets are evaluated. Finally, the skilled jobs required for developing hydrogen value chains are estimated. Throughout the project, uncertainty about future hydrogen needs and changing regulatory contexts is considered. Findings will show the framework conditions requirements and costs of different value chains; estimate policy impacts, skilled workforce requirements and potential job creation; and quantify economic and geopolitical implications of future hydrogen markets, contributing to the academic literature and informing policy decisions.

Hydrogen can serve as an energy vector and is expected to play a vital role in future sector coupling and deep decarbonization scenarios, for example for the production of transportation fuels. Water electrolysis using renewable electricity is a flexible, modular, and scalable technology for green hydrogen production. Improvement of the conversion efficiency is imperative to lower hydrogen cost. The aim of the proposed project is, on the one hand, to introduce new additive materials into thin proton exchange membranes to reduce hydrogen crossover and improve membrane stability. On the other hand, functional additives will be incorporated into anion exchange membranes (AEMs), which operate under alkaline conditions and offer the prospect of a lower use of critical raw materials. The new membranes will be characterized and validated in laboratory-scale single cells.

This project proposal aims at developing a novel electrified ammonia cracking reactor for hydrogen production. The reactor will be enhanced with engineered structures obtained by additive manufacturing, able to withstand flexible operations to follow renewable energy profiles.