- The PROMISERS project, coordinated by the Leitat technology center, is one of the three projects that has been selected to receive European funding within the framework of the 2024 call of the Hydrogen Partnership.
- The results of the call place the Spanish state at the forefront of Europe by return in the research of renewable hydrogen with participation in 15 of the 29 selected projects.
- PROMISERS is a strategic project for the energy transition, which aims to promote the production of renewable hydrogen free of peripolifluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) thus contributing to a cleaner and safer economy.
- Leitat, the only Catalan center that coordinates one of the projects funded by the European Union, consolidating itself as a leading entity in the field of innovation and development of clean and sustainable energies at European level.
The PROMISERS project, coordinated by the Leitat technology center, has been one of the selected initiatives that have managed to place Spain at the forefront of the countries of the European Union by return achieved in the 2024 call of the Hydrogen Partnership of Horizon Europe, the current European Union Research and Innovation Framework Program.
The Hydrogen Partnership funds research and innovation projects throughout the renewable hydrogen value chain, from production, distribution and storage technologies, final uses and hydrogen valleys, which integrate production and use in clustered enclaves. The 2024 call promotes 29 projects that are already underway, with funding of 171 million euros, of which Spain has obtained 25 million, a return of 17.2% and which positions Spain as the leading country in the European Union in this field of research.
Thus, of the 29 projects selected throughout Europe, 15 have Spanish participation and only 3 are coordinated by Spanish entities (Castella and León, Basque Country and Catalonia). Leitat is the only Catalan center coordinating one of the projects funded within the framework of this call.
This result reflects Leitat’s commitment to green hydrogen as a strategic pillar in the energy field, and PROMISERS is part of this vision, providing a cutting-edge technology that guarantees a reduced environmental impact and promotes European industrial competitiveness.
PROMISERS, key in promoting the energy transition in a sustainable way
The PROMISERS project, which will last three years, was born with the aim of developing fluoropolymer-free materials to replace membranes, inks and other components of electrolyzers and fuel cells, key technologies for the production of clean energy, such as hydrogen.
Funded within the Horizon Europe programme and with the support of the Hydrogen Partnership with a budget of close to 3 million euros, the PROMISERS consortium is coordinated by Leitat and made up of leading European industry and research entities from Italy, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands: Syensqo, Fumatech, De Nora, RINA Consulting, Hysytech, TNO, IIT, Cellfion.
“Applications of electrolyzers and fuel cells are fundamental technologies for the production of renewable hydrogen and the decarbonization of the economy, but we need to develop sustainable alternatives to the peripolifluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) used in these electrolyzers and fuel cells”, explains Marcel Boerrigter, coordinator of the project at Leitat, on the importance of PROMISERS and the need to develop other more sustainable alternatives to boost the production of renewable hydrogen.
PFAS substances encompass a large group of thousands of synthetic chemicals widely used throughout the European Union and globally in a wide variety of everyday products. They are characterized by their high stability and persistence in the environment in an irreversible way, accumulating in human tissues, causing possible adverse effects on health. There is currently no commercially viable alternative with such desirable physical and chemical characteristics as fluoropolymers, and banning PFAS without a suitable substitute would have devastating effects on the investment of EUR 30 billion that the industry has made in the last decade, only in electrolyzers and fuel cells.
Faced with this challenge, the PROMISERS objectives are aligned with European greenhouse gas emission reduction policies, such as the EU Hydrogen Strategy, REPowerEU and the Green Deal agreement. In addition, the project implements sustainability principles and prioritizes safe, scalable and environmentally friendly materials and processes, with the aim of achieving zero environmental impact. The development of fluorine-free components (PFAS-free) in the PROMISERS project, focused on fuel cells and electrolyzers, will allow safe and sustainable production of renewable hydrogen. This advance will benefit a wide range of applications, such as vehicles, electricity generation and industrial processes such as steel, cement and fertilizers, significantly contributing to the decarbonization of the European economy.
