Vielca Medio Ambiente SL participates in the GREENHYCELL project to support the practical implementation of this green hydrogen generation project and the analysis of its environmental repercussions.
Goal
The project “Development of new prototypes of green hydrogen generation systems to enhance the competitiveness of the Spanish industry”, hereinafter Green HyCell, aims to research a new conceptual design of polymeric membrane electrolyzers (PEMWE) using alternative materials to those used in current PEM electrolyzers. These alternative materials have a low content of noble metals, which will allow to obtain an energy vector with different potential uses from renewable sources. This will result in increased efficiency, reduced costs and emissions, as well as reliance on strategic materials. In short, an increase in the competitiveness of companies.
Who is involved in the project?
In this project, companies, research organizations, technology centers and universities collaborate, which guarantee the scope of the disruptive novelties proposed.
Phases
First, electrodes (anode and cathode) with a low content of noble metals Iridium and Platinum (Ir and Pt) as well as porous transport layers PGM (Platinium Group Metals) of titanium fiber felt for the anode and gas diffusion layers (GDLs) of carbonaceous nature for the cathode, as well as bipolar plates (BP) of stainless steel with coatings based on non-noble (or critical) metals will be designed.
Subsequently, a PEM electrolyzer (0.5-1 kW) will be assembled with the optimized materials and with the aim of optimizing the efficiency and sustainability of this type of hydrogen generation system, an in-depth study will be carried out in the validation and scalability of the same on a laboratory scale and in real environments.
To complete the cycle, an industrial research study will be carried out with the aim of establishing strategies for the recovery of strategic materials (primarily iridium and platinum), with the aim of their possible “second life” use in electrolysis systems, in order to reduce to “0” the dependence on this type of material in hydrogen generating systems.
Subsidized by CDTI.
