The project has the ambitious goal of connecting the main university laboratories and research groups and the main national research institutions, identifying interdisciplinary skills to develop technologies for the conversion and use of renewable sources that are sustainable, both from an environmental and social point of view, and resilient for energy production and distribution, being less subject to the risks arising from the current fossil fuel supply system, essentially oil and natural gas. The ambition of the project is to build competent Italian leadership, strongly integrated with the territory and businesses and capable of supporting future development towards sustainable and decarbonised energy production and distribution.
The project is organised into 9 spokes. FBK is involved in 2 spokes (spoke 4 and spoke 9).
SPOKE 4 – Clean Hydrogen and Final Uses
Recent EU policies and Italian PNRR and PNR identified H2 as key enabling energy vector for National/EU future. In this sense, Italy has to promote a new economic paradigm, where H2 will have a pivotal role.
The WPs will always assess the following aspects: Modelling, Material, Prototyping (at component and system level) and low scale experimental activities in key Italian labs (targeting TRL4/5 and application in different sectors (hydrogen production and use, stationary and mobile application, civil and industrial contexts), Impact assessment and identification of drivers/barriers for the promotion of FCH technology.
THE ROLE OF FBK IN THE SPOKE 4
FBK coordinates WP4.1 addressing hydrogen production and power generation as well as the development of functional components, cells and systems for low-temperature AEM and alkaline electrochemical technologies for hydrogen production and power generation. FBK is also involved in:
- Testing activity on High-temperature electrolysis technology
- Contributor to experimental protocols and design of experiments
- Modelling activity at system level
- Design, engineering and validation of cells and components of the electrolysis systems.
SPOKE 9 – Energy-Sustainable Advanced Materials
The main objective of spoke 9 is to develop advanced materials and technologies capable of improving the efficiency of materials and devices, reducing their carbon footprint and offering environmental and economic benefits in energy sector applications.
The aim is to develop materials with controlled and optimised composition, structure, morphology and size, improving their functional properties and extending their lifespan, including through advanced treatments.
One of the project’s objectives will also be to reduce the number of synthesis steps and energy consumption, the use of critical raw materials and the use of hazardous precursors and reagents. It also aims to implement advanced chemical, structural, morphological and functional characterisation techniques to improve the performance of the innovative materials developed within the project, while also developing in-operando testing methods.
THE ROLE OF FBK IN THE SPOKE 9
FBK conducts multiple activities within NEST-spoke 9, including the management of WP9.4 ‘Materials characterisation and testing’ (Gloria Gottardi) and is involved in the following activities:
- Green preparation protocols and materials: substitution of CRM, reduction of synthetic steps, energy consumption, carbon footprint and environmental impact
- Characterization protocols with advanced structural and morphological techniques
- Dissemination and communications
MORE INFORMATION
Project Acronym
NEST
Project Name
Network 4 Energy Sustainable Transition
- Spoke 4: Clean Hydrogen and Final Uses
- Spoke 9: Energy Sustainable Advanced Materials
Funding programme
PNRR – Next Generation EU
Project Coordinator
ENEA (Spoke 4) | Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (Spoke 9)
Starting date
November 2022
Ending date
June 2026
Duration
54 months
Project CUP
C63C22000810006
Total eligible costs
944.333,50 EUR (Spoke 4) | 566.600,24 EUR (Spoke 9)
Finanziato dall’Unione europea- Next Generation EU, Missione 4 Componente 2 Linea di investimento 1.3 – CUP C63C22000810006
