MemCat targets to deliver a proof-of-concept for the direct conversion of CO2 to ethylene by realizing tandem catalysts, which through nanostructuring will allow for consecutive CO2-to-methanol and methanol-to-ethylene conversions to occur in the same operational window. A fundamental understanding of the parameters governing the reactions will be gained through detailed operando studies of the tandem catalysts, which, in combination with theoretical calculations, will lead to the underpinning of the reaction mechanism and allow the rational improvement of the nanostructured catalysts to achieve an industry-relevant level of performance. Building on the consortium’s know-how, the catalysts will be deployed in a membrane reactor featuring a combination of tailored nanocomposite membranes, giving access to ethylene in a selective manner and high yield for the first time. The MemCat science-to-technology breakthrough will be achieved through a synergy of synthesis, catalysis, and theory to obtain novel nanostructured tandem catalysts, and the development of nanocomposite membranes for a prototype catalytic membrane reactor, replacing current multi-step conversion pathways with existing catalysts. The long-term vision of MemCat is to give access to green e-Polymers by providing carbon-negative plastic precursors using anthropogenic CO2 and green H2. The project will contribute to establishing the EU as the world leader in the use of CO2 as feedstock for chemical production.

While many hard-to-abate sectors would benefit from a wide availability of green ammonia in Europe, the development of ammonia cracking technologies remains a prerequisite to unlock the full potential of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier. ANDREAH’s main objective is to provide a quantum leap in the development of advanced ammonia decomposition technologies to produce ultra-pure hydrogen (>99.998%) by developing an innovative system based on a Catalytic Membrane Reactor (CMR) for the cracking of Ammonia. In this way, optimised heat management, improved conversion per pass and purification/recycling for more cost-efficient and resource-effective ammonia decomposition at lower temperatures (400-450ºC) compared to conventional systems resulting in a decrease of CAPEX and OPEX of the system, that will bring the decentralized cost of H2 from 5.51 euro/kg to 4.27 euro/kg, with a decrease of 22.5%. For this purpose environmentally friendy and with less CRMs (80-90% less compared to conventional packed bed systems) structured catalyts will be developed and scaled up and integrated with advanced H2 selective Carbon Molecular Sieve Membranes and coupled with a sorbent-based hydrogen polishing step for fuel cell grade. Moreover, the complete system will be validated at TRL5 at the facilities of VTTI in the port of Rotterdam. Finally, a complete LCA, LCC and HSA will be performed over the entire value chain of ANDREAH. Appart from the different exploitable results of the project, the ambition of ANDREAH is to create a spin-off company that can exploit the advanced ammonia cracking system. KIC InnoEnergy supported more than 480 cleantech start-ups in the last decades and will provide support and advice to launch and boost the new spin-off.

CHP plants are burdened with significant economic risks when investing in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), due to the high cost and energy penalty of CCS. Switching the feedstock from fossil fuels to biomass can significantly reduce the overall CO2 emission; however, it is essential to develop CHP technologies that can utilize low-value biogenic residues and wastes to avoid an increase in the cost of utility. In addition, coupling a bio-CHP plant with CCS results in negative CO2 emissions which is fundamental to many scenarios to reach the net zero emission targets. The Bio-FlexCLC project develops and demonstrates a novel flexible technology for CHP plants at TRL 5 to utilize low-value biogenic residues as feedstock for heat and power production with negative CO2 emissions. Bio-FlexCLC combines the break-through chemical-looping combustion (CLC) technology with conventional circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boilers. The concept is flexible to switch between CLC-CFB modes. Bio-FlexCLC operating in CLC mode has inherent CO2 capture at a low cost and without energy penalty. Bio-FlexCLC utilizes biogenic residues and wastes, improves conversion efficiencies, achieves negative CO2 emissions, reduces SOx and NOx emissions, enhances CO2 capture efficiency at a considerably reduced cost, has flexibility towards load demand fluctuations, and the capacity to switch to CFB combustion if market conditions are not amiable for carbon capture or if there is difficulty in the operation to decreases the risk of implement. Bio-FlexCLC is supported by an expert consortium to ensure the quality of research and appropriate exploitation. The academic partners in the consortium are leading institutions in the areas of CLC and CFB boilers. The industrial partners are technology providers of boilers, chemical looping technologies, as well as gas cleaning and CO2 liquefaction. Bio-FlexCLC is also backed by utility companies in the consortium having CHP plants on biomass and fossil fuel.

Besides being an important chemical commodity, methanol is a multipurpose fuel that can be used directly in internal combustion engines, blended with other fuels or for producing fuel additives, which improve engine performance. Methanol has great potential to be one of the selected low-carbon fuels for heavy road and transportation and marine freight. Technologies that are using methanol as fuel are gaining more momentum and attention globally. However, two key issues may challenge the further uptake of methanol in energy systems: i) methanol is today produced from fossil resources, and ii) methanol is used mainly by chemical industries, leaving small room for the energy sector to count on it. Bio-MeGaFuel is proposing a novel route that converts low value biomass to methanol via an intensified process with a minimum carbon footprint comparable to conventional methods. Bio-MeGaFuel uses chemical looping gasification to produce clean syngas from biomass, and membrane reactor technology to directly produce methanol from syngas. A key feature of Bio-MeGaFuel is the possibility to maximize the conversion of hydrogen and carbon (via CO2 recirculation) from biomass waste to methanol with the minimum number of process steps. The process is based on the conversion of biomass waste aimed at increasing the capacity of biomethanol production in a sustainable way and addressing the increasing demand for biomethanol as a fuel. Bio-MeGaFuel is underpinned by technologies that are being developed to TRL 5 by an expert consortium. Besides, it is backed by a strong reference group including the business leaders and market players in biomass supply, whole methanol production value chain, potential end users, and potential future players in the production, management, and distribution of biomethanol. This greatly ensures the quality of the research and appropriate exploitation of the results predicted in Bio-MeGaFuel.

Through a holistic approach, APOLO aims to tackle the challenges of power conversion from ammonia and develop an efficient and flexible ammonia cracking technology. This technology will be coupled with fuel cells and engines to achieve complete decarbonization of the maritime sector. As the main objective of the call is to demonstrate scalability beyond 3MW, the consortium will focus on showcasing the following demonstration units: i) A 125kW power conversion system that utilizes an ammonia cracker coupled with a PEM fuel cell system, achieving an overall system efficiency of 51% to 54%. The ammonia cracker will be customized to work with different pressure conditions and efficiency levels of PEM fuel cells. A comparison of efficiency levels will be conducted to evaluate the flexibility of the cracking system for all types of PEM fuel cells. ii) A 125kW partial ammonia cracker coupled with a 4-stroke engine, exhibiting an overall system efficiency above 45% APOLO is dedicated to minimizing the ecological footprint of transportation and energy, focusing on the maritime sector. To achieve this, we're actively developing innovative power conversion technologies such as cracker, fuel cell, and engine, and utilizing life cycle assessment (LCA) at various stages of product development. The technologies developed in APOLO are capable of targeting the first 30,000 ships in the market. Initially, the focus will be on vessels with 1 to 10 MW propulsion, with a significant number of them being around 3 MW in the next decade, as these are the first vessels relevant for ammonia-powered solutions.