HyCARE

Energy storage is essential to the full exploitation of renewable energy sources given their intermittent availability. Hydrogen has the highest energy density of all known substances, about three times higher than diesel or gasoline. However, in the gas state, the volumetric density of hydrogen is very low and a strong compression is necessary to store it, with significant energy consumption. 

The EU-funded HyCARE project aimed at developing a novel way to store hydrogen in the solid-state, using metal hydrides. It will also store energy as heat through phase change materials, boosting energy resources and efficiency. The combined solid-state hydrogen and heat storage tanks will be integrated with technology to both produce hydrogen for storage and use it.

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the HyCARE project was the development of a prototype hydrogen storage tank with use of a solid-state hydrogen carrier on large scale. The tank will be based on an innovative concept, joining hydrogen and heat storage, in order to improve energy efficiency of the whole system. The developed tank will be installed in the site of ENGIE LAB CRIGEN, which is a research and operational expertise center dedicated to gas, new energy sources and emerging technologies. The center and its 350 staff are located at Plaine Saint-Denis and Alfortville in the Paris Region (F). In particular, the solid-state hydrogen tank will be installed in a Living Lab aimed to develop and explore innovative energy storage solutions. The developed tank will be joined with a PEM electrolyzer as hydrogen provider and a PEM fuel cell as hydrogen user.
The following goals are planned in HyCARE:
– High quantity of stored hydrogen >= 50 kg
– Low pressure < 50 bar and low temperature < 100°C
– Low foot print, comparable to liquid hydrogen storage
– Innovative design
– Hydrogen storage coupled with thermal energy storage
– Improved energy efficiency
– Integration with an electrolyser (EL) and a fuel cell (FC)
– Demonstration in real application
– Improved safety
– Techno-economical evaluation of the innovative solution
– Analysis of the environmental impact via Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
– Exploitation of possible industrial applications
– Dissemination of results at various levels
– Engagement of local people and institution in the demonstration site

LINKS

Website: https://hycare-project.eu/

Cordis: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/826352

ROLE OF FBK: PARTNER