Balance of plant components, architectures and operation strategies for improved PEMFC system efficiency and lifetime

Call updates

Apr 18, 2024 10:33:18 AM
CALL UPDATE: PROPOSAL NUMBERS

Call HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024 has closed on the 17/04/2024. 

151 proposals have been submitted.

The breakdown per topic is: 

HYDROGEN END USES: TRANSPORT APPLICATIONS

-       HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-03-01: 3 proposals

Evaluation results are expected to be communicated in end of July – beginning August 2024

Mar 1, 2024 4:34:09 PM

The excel detailed budget table available in the submission system “Download Part B templates” section had incorrect funding rate options of 60% and 100%.

Today, the issue has been rectified and the excel detailed budget table is now displaying the correct funding rate options of 70% and 100%.

Please make sure you download and use the correct budget table in your submission.

Balance of plant components, architectures and operation strategies for improved PEMFC system efficiency and lifetime

TOPIC ID: HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-03-01

Type of grant: Call for proposals

General information

Programme: Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON)

Call: HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024 (HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024)

Type of action: HORIZON-JU-RIA HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions

Type of MGA: HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]

Status: Forthcoming

Deadline model: single-stage

Planned Opening Date: 18 January 2024

Deadline dates: 17 April 2024 17:00 (Brussels time)

Topic description

ExpectedOutcome:

To achieve the ambitious goal of the European Green Deal (at least 90% reduction in transport emissions by 2050 to be consistent with climate neutrality), reducing CO2 emissions attributed to transport (around 30% of EU total) is a key, particularly when taking into account the constant expansion of high-power means of transportation on road, by rail, air and water. Improvements on fuel cells technology building blocks applicable across a range of different applications will contribute by tackling basic issues related to efficiency and lifetime which are currently preventing competitive deployment of hydrogen-based transport. The motivation of this topic is to achieve the overall improvement of the PEMFC^[1]-based systems by addressing the Balance of Plant (BoP) as the remaining system technology building block, thereby ensuring successful implementation of outcomes from R&I actions currently dedicated to improving fuel cells technology for transport by addressing components from core materials to stack level, in parallel to hydrogen storage on-board.

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• Solutions for improving efficiency and durability of the PEMFC system (at least 100 kW, as aimed for Heavy-duty (HD) road application), applicable for integration / implementation in a prototype for at least one HD transport mean by 2030;
• PEMFC systems integrating new optimised architecture or new hybridisation strategies ready to be adopted and implemented by developers of powertrains for heavy-duty high-power means of transport;
• New modular BoP elements based on appropriate combination of components / devices / strategies addressing fuel or air supply (and cooling) and fulfilling expectations of fuel cell powertrains suppliers and end-users;
• Flexible tools for adapting/optimising PEMFC BoP operation strategies to improve reliability and durability of wide range of Fuel Cell Hydrogen-based means of transport;
• Support the development of the PEMFC technology for cost competitive next generation of commercial/industrial scale FC systems from EU suppliers of primarily heavy-duty vehicles and potentially other applications;
• Consolidate European leadership on understanding and optimisation of BoP architectures for specific technology cases addressing all transport applications, including support to developments conducted in topic “HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-03-02: Scaling-up Balance of Plant components for efficient high power heavy duty applications” and other BoP topic dedicated to new solutions specifically adapted for new generation higher-power applications.

Project results are expected to contribute to the following objectives and KPIs of the Clean Hydrogen JU SRIA:

• Proving efficiency and applicability of Hydrogen Fuel Cell based solutions in the transport sector thanks to necessary improvements gained at system level, with validation of the new solutions on at least one module (defined by the project StaSHH as the stack plus the BoP) for a heavy-duty-road case and demonstrated applicability for another case from a different transport mode;
• Improved building blocks for heavy-duty applications, with higher power density, efficiency, reliability and durability, thanks to better performing BoPs, with redesigned architectures and optimised strategies, integrating at least one newly developed BoP component (or sub-system);
• Objectives and KPIs are targeted at module or system scale with improvements in design or health monitoring: they should be validated on the leading selected heavy-duty-road application, then highlighting spillover benefits for other applications;
• FC module CAPEX <300 €/kW;
• FC module durability > 25,000 h. End of life is corresponding to 10% loss in performance;
• FC system electric efficiency of 60% with state of art PEMFC stack achieving SRIA KPIs in terms of initial performance (areal power density between 1 and 1.2 W/cm² @ 0.675V).

Scope:

Heavy duty high-power transport applications put stringent lifetime expectations for the entire Fuel Cell System (FCS). The FCS should achieve the same lifetime expectations as the Fuel Cell stack if not longer. Balance of plant (BoP) components (such as devices to improve air, fuel and cooling subsystems, like particularly innovative air compressor/turbocharger, air humidifier, hydrogen recirculation features, and devices to support control, monitoring or safety, like high-voltage components, electronic converters, sensors...) and stack/system interactions management (diagnostic strategies, algorithms, methodologies) also require focused innovation and development. Even if stack design and core components have the most significant impact on the PEMFC performance and durability, optimising PEMFC system operation strategies and architectures is essential to achieve the targets expected for 2030 allowing efficient FC systems integration into transport means.

The link between performance losses and degradation mechanisms occurring in stacks is extensively investigated, as are the operational situations that promote them. Mitigation strategies and novel architectures can be proposed on system and BoP level but breakthrough efforts are needed to assess and moreover quantify their benefit. The eventual optimisation will allow for stability improvement towards all the specified usage modes and conditions (idle, high and low power, load cycles, cold start, start-up, shunt down, reactants, cooling).

This topic focuses on:

• developments to ensure improved system performance combined with its extended lifetime by addressing BoP components, including new developments on BoP sub-systems, and module/system interactions with respect to efficiency, reliability, durability and cost. The improvement is expected from a combined approach addressing the architecture and operation strategies of a system both supported by the development or redesign of at least one BoP component preventing optimized efficiency at beginning of life and over the long term. Moreover, primary focus will be on heavy-duty road applications, within the boundaries of STaSHH definitions for the actual validation of results, even though spillover benefits in other transport modes shall be highlighted.
• 100 to 220 kW modules, the range identified by the StaSHH project for the heavy-duty-on-road cases, which is identified as the leading field of application to be considered here. Scalability by implementing several modules towards very large power when needed as well as spillover effects of new BoP solutions to other transport modes will be considered in the further exploitation of results, as additional outputs.

R&I activities to be addressed should consistently include the following to achieve the expected results:

• Understanding and assessment of irreversible and reversible degradations attributed to system operation conditions specified for the targeted application, following a coupled experimental / modelling approach (e.g., analysing and quantifying issues associated with the different usage modes, specific situations or conditions, transients);
• Development of solutions to mitigate irreversible and regenerate reversible degradation by acting on the PEMFC system strategies or redesigning BoP architectures. This could include identifying requirements for BoP-components to perform robust start-up, shut-down in nominal or extreme conditions, and plans for demonstration of identified solutions;
• Pursue BoP behaviour analysis and diagnostics for appropriate BoP and system state of health monitoring, (development of specific measuring tools, procedures, real and virtual sensors, algorithms, and prognostic based methodology; as well as digital twin approach could be considered for effective control over the long-term);
• Identifying within the BoP architecture, individual or combined elements affecting the performance likely to reduce reliability and durability. This could include issues related to materials used (for example risk of emissions causing contamination) or functional requirements (for example dynamics);
• Carrying out required development and optimisation of identified less robust BoP component(s) (ground-up redesign of at least one component or one sub-system);
• Developing solutions for optimised assembly of the selected items, also linking the approach with the best suited sub-system or system management (on this item modular multi scale architectures could be a viable approach);
• Assessing BoP components (or subsystems) managing the fuel or the air supply: feeding sources and modes (compression, circulation, purges etc) and operating conditions profiles (like pressure, flow, relative humidity) along with the devices used to control them, could be particularly relevant for improving performance stability at module management scale;
• Validation of improvement (at system/module or BoP component level) of the overall system reliability and serviceability thanks to optimised Fuel Cell System management
• Assessing manufacturability aspects for the ground-up redesigned BoP components to meet system cost targets (techno-economic assessment regarding impact on BoP improvements and manufacturing of the newly developed components).
• Carrying out a techno-economic assessment to demonstrate the progress toward reducing the CAPEX of fuel cells, associated to the work in BoP development, including manufacturing aspects regarding newly developed BoP components;

The final aim of the topic is to demonstrate efficiency and durability improvements for selected specifications, at representative scale in a real or emulated system environment.

The validation of performance improvement should be done on one real module for at least one case of heavy-duty road application, against a reference described in the proposal and presenting at least 2022 state of the art performance.

In addition, the modularity or adaptability of the solutions developed should be proven based on a feasibility study considering another power level or another heavy-duty transport mode.

Referring to StaSHH outcomes in terms of integration boundaries, developed solutions should be implementable in harmonised PEMFC modules for systems of power level of at least 100 kW (range of StaSHH standards 110 to 220kW identified for heavy-duty-road modules) and operated, for their validation, in representative conditions according to the road transport applications selected.

Proposals should include a description on how KPIs will be assessed and reached, by justifying assessment and validation procedures regarding the applications targeted.

Consortia are expected to build on the expertise from the European research and industrial community to ensure impact by addressing several of the aforementioned items. End-users should be involved, at least in an advisory board, while at least one Fuel Cell manufacturer should be included in the consortium.

Proposals should demonstrate its ability to address appropriately different heavy-duty transport means. In particular, it should be demonstrated how spill over effects in other transport modes, besides heavy-duty-on-road, will be achieved in terms of exploitation of results.. At least one partner should be involved focusing on the development of a new BoP component or sub-system.

The developments on the FC stack or stack components are not in the scope of this topic.

HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-03-01 and HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-03-02 topics are highly complementary; liaison between successful proposals in these two topics is expected to ensure complementarity, leverage synergies and avoid duplication of efforts. Applicants should demonstrate how this will be achieved (e.g. by sharing members of the respective advisory boards, by organizing regular exchanges).

Proposals are encouraged to explore synergies with the Zero Emission Waterborne Transport (ZEWT) Partnership and 2ZERO Partnership as the outputs of the projects supported under this topics should be of direct interest to companies in the road and port-maritime sector (e.g. trucks, pilot boats, cargo port handling equipment, etc).

For additional elements applicable to all topics please refer to section 2.2.3.2.

Activities are expected to start at TRL 3 and achieve TRL 5 by the end of the project - see General Annex B.

The JU estimates that an EU contribution of maximum EUR 4.00 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.

The conditions related to this topic are provided in the chapter 2.2.3.2 of the Clean Hydrogen JU 2023 Annual Work Plan and in the General Annexes to the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2023–2024 which apply mutatis mutandis.

Specific Topic Conditions:

Activities are expected to start at TRL 3 and achieve TRL 5 by the end of the project - See General Annex B.

[1]PEMFC: proton exchange membrane fuel cell

General conditions

1. Admissibility conditions: described in Annex Aand Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes

Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

Page limit for Innovation Actions

For all Innovation Actions the page limit of the applications are 70 pages.

2. Eligible countries: described in Annex Bof the Work Programme General Annexes

A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

3. Other eligibility conditions: described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes

Additional eligibility condition: Maximum contribution per topic

For some topics, in line with the Clean Hydrogen JU SRIA, an additional eligibility criterion has been introduced to limit the Clean Hydrogen JU requested contribution mostly for actions performed at high TRL level, including demonstration in real operational environment and with important involvement from industrial stakeholders and/or end users such as public authorities. Such actions are expected to leverage co-funding as commitment from stakeholders. It is of added value that such leverage is shown through the private investment in these specific topics. Therefore, proposals requesting contributions above the amounts specified per each topic below will not be evaluated:

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-01-05: The maximum Clean Hydrogen JU contribution that may be requested is EUR 10.00 million

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-02-03: The maximum Clean Hydrogen JU contribution that may be requested is EUR 6.00 million

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-02-04: The maximum Clean Hydrogen JU contribution that may be requested is EUR 6.00 million

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-02-05: The maximum Clean Hydrogen JU contribution that may be requested is EUR 8.00 million

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-03-04: The maximum Clean Hydrogen JU contribution that may be requested is EUR 5.00 million

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-04-01: The maximum Clean Hydrogen JU contribution that may be requested is EUR 5.00 million

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-06-01: The maximum Clean Hydrogen JU contribution that may be requested is EUR 20.00 million

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-06-02: The maximum Clean Hydrogen JU contribution that may be requested is EUR 9.00 million

Additional eligibility condition: Membership to Hydrogen Europe / Hydrogen Europe Research

For some topics, in line with the Clean Hydrogen JU SRIA, an additional eligibility criterion has been introduced to ensure that one partner in the consortium is a member of either Hydrogen Europe or Hydrogen Europe Research. This concerns topics targeting actions for large-scale demonstrations, flagship projects and strategic research actions, where the industrial and research partners of the Clean Hydrogen JU are considered to play a key role in accelerating the commercialisation of hydrogen technologies by being closely linked to the Clean Hydrogen JU constituency, which could further ensure full alignment with the SRIA of the JU. This approach shall also ensure the continuity of the work performed within projects funded through the H2020 and FP7, by building up on their experience and consolidating the EU value-chain. In the Call 2024 this applies to the demonstration of innovative hydrogen production for energy intensive industries and the chemical sectors, demonstration of innovative technologies for the distribution of hydrogen including multi-purpose hydrogen refueling infrastructure, demonstration of hydrogen-powered inland shipping or short sea shipping solutions. This will also apply to the two Hydrogen Valley topics as they are considered of strategic importance for the European Union ambitions to double the number of Hydrogen Valleys by 2025. For these flagship topics large amount of co-investment/co-funding of project participants/beneficiaries including national and regional programmes is expected. This applies to the following topics:

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-01-05

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-02-03

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-02-04

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-02-05

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-03-04

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-04-01

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-06-01

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-06-02

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes

5.Evaluation and award:

• Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex Dof the Work Programme General Annexes

• Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual

Seal of Excellence:

For the two topics in the Call 2024 addressing Hydrogen Valleys, the ‘Seal of Excellence’ will be awarded to applications exceeding all of the evaluation thresholds set out in this Annual Work Programme but cannot be funded due to lack of budget available to the call. This will further improve the chances of good proposals, otherwise not selected, to find alternative funding in other Union programmes, including those managed by national or regional Managing Authorities. With prior authorisation from the applicants, the Clean Hydrogen JU may share information concerning the proposal and the evaluation with interested financing authorities. In this Annual Work Programme ‘Seal of Excellence’ will be awarded for the following topic(s):

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-06-01

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-06-02

• Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants: described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes

In addition to the standard provisions, the following specific provisions in the model grant agreement will apply:

1. Lump Sum

This year’s call for proposals will take the form of lump sums as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021- 2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025). Lump sums will be used across all topics in the Call 2024.

2. Full capitalised costs for purchases of equipment, infrastructure or other assets purchased specifically for the action

For some topics, in line with the Clean Hydrogen JU SRIA, mostly large-scale demonstrators or flagship projects specific equipment, infrastructure or other assets purchased specifically for the action (or developed as part of the action tasks) can exceptionally be declared as full capitalised costs. This concerns the topics below:

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-01-05

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-02-03

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-02-04

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-02-05

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-03-04

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-04-01

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-06-01

- HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-06-02

3. Subcontracting

For all topics: an additional obligation regarding subcontracting has been introduced, namely that subcontracted work may only be performed in target countries set out in the call conditions.

The beneficiaries must ensure that the subcontracted work is performed in the countries set out in the call conditions.

The target countries are all Member States of the European Union and all Associated Countries.

Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025). [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]].

Specific conditions

7. Specific conditions: described in the chapter 2.2.3.2 of the Clean Hydrogen JU 2024 Annual Work Programme

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