HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2025-05-02
General information
Programme
Horizon Europe (HORIZON)
Call
HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2025 (HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2025)
Type of action
HORIZON-JU-RIA HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions
Type of MGA
HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]
Forthcoming
Deadline model
single-stage
Planned opening date
30 January 2025
Deadline date
23 April 2025 17:00:00 Brussels timeTopic description
Expected Outcome:
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of thousands of chemicals, with different properties, safety profiles and uses[[OECD, “oecd.org,” 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.oecd.org/chemicalsafety/portal-perfluorinated-chemicals/terminology-per-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances.pdf. [Accessed April 2024]]]. In January 2023, the authorities of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden submitted a proposal to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) that calls for a near complete phase-out of the manufacture, import, sale, and use of per- and polyfluorinated substances (commonly known as PFAS)[[ECHA, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://echa.europa.eu/hot-topics/perfluoroalkyl-chemicals-pfas. [Accessed April 2024]]. Transitional periods are foreseen for uses that currently have no alternatives. Within the class of PFAS chemicals included in the proposal are fluoropolymers, a subgroup of PFAS that is used in various industrial and professional applications.
Water electrolysers and fuel cells use fluorinated membranes for their unique physical and chemical properties such as elevated proton conductivity and excellent durability. However, these systems are known to emit levels of inorganic fluoride during operation of the product. In fact, the degree of fluoride release may be used as a measure of the rate of degradation of the membrane in a fuel cell or an electrolyser[1]. Hence, component and stack manufacturers aim to minimise any inorganic fluoride release rate in order to ensure commercially viable lifetimes to their products by reducing degradation. However, until now, corresponding degradation mechanisms, the quantification of organic fluorine compounds, and their potential impact on the environment have not been understood or even investigated[2]. There are therefore no testing protocols ready for electrolyser/fuel cell degradation with focus on PFAS release and considering the use of adequate analytics (e.g. sum parameters). In particular, there is no defined, agreed analytical technique available to reliably identify individual organic fluorine containing compounds due to their low concentrations and heterogeneity[3] (explicitly excluding existing, regulated substances like PFOS,… and the corresponding analytical methods as described therein).
Moreover, electrolysers and fuel cells will have to rely on commonly available fluorinated membranes for the upcoming years as the few alternatives to fluorinated membranes are at low TRL (e.g. HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2024-05-02), and any alternatives may not become viable and scale in time. It is therefore relevant to enhance the understanding of PFAS emission based on currently used fluorinated membranes, developing pre-normative testing protocols and methods, and investigate the emission of the degradation products in applications under product use.
Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes:
- Allow science-based decision making for policy makers and industry players;
- Enable industry, policy makers and the public to deepen their understanding of potential PFAS emissions of electrolyser and/or fuel cell systems under product use, and their impact on the environment;
- Identify the emission pathway (vapour, aerosol, liquid phase);
- Allow for targeted solutions to prevent potential PFAS emissions in these systems from new or existing players in the hydrogen field;
- Allow industry to use a standardised method for PFAS emissions measurement under product use;
- Provide mature sampling and testing methods, analytical tools to assess PFAS release to the environment, and to ensure sustainability of fuel cells and/or water electrolysis;
- Pave the way to make fuel cells and/or water electrolysis more sustainable;
- Provide context with the potential emissions and their potential impact, educating the public on balancing the risks of those emissions.
Scope:
This proposal is expected to focus on the fundamental understanding of the potential PFAS emissions in water electrolysers and fuel cells under product use. It aims to identify the root cause of PFAS compounds in water electrolysers and fuel cells, and to quantify the potential release of these substances into the environment during operation. Additionally, this project should propose solutions to manage and minimise emissions from current products corresponding to their amount and relevance of emission. It should include recommendations on a reduced release into the environment and propose possible mitigation options for avoidance of emissions. Considering the application-based, industrial scope of the project, subsequent non-industrial processes like subsequent biodegradation in the environment, the individual properties of persistency and incorporation into the food chain should not be contained within the scope and future possible applicants of this proposal. However, the project should support a preliminary liaison of the industrial community with these complementary aspects. Applicants are therefore expected to propose activities to build a significant state of the art collection and review of recent studies related to PFAS biodegradation. Besides, projects are expected to build further on the findings and targets of previous projects and find synergies with running projects, as well as with the novel Innovative Materials for EU co-Programmed Partnership. Specific attention should be given to Horizon Europe, Cluster 4[4].
An integral step of the project is the development of a uniform testing (operation, sampling and analysis) protocol for PFAS emissions under product use. The results should further be additionally validated by means of statistics, and repetitive sample taking and evaluation.
- As a guideline, project proposals should define the process of test sample taking, considering e.g.:
- Transport conditions, sampling devices, sample probing, and sample taking conditions (beginning of life, run-in units) at different sites in a system (fuel cell or electrolyser) under product use conditions (e.g. temperature, hydrodynamic conditions, product water emission or air taken, …);
- Establish comparable and robust results for the samples, and a measure of proper data representation (statistics, relevance, database, reference, administration…);
- Define harmonised test protocols for fuel cells and electrolysers during which samples are taken for analysis, providing a procedure how, when, and where the samples are taken (gas, liquid and aerosols).
- Establish a comprehensive analytical methodology:
- Establishing a list of relevant substances for targeted analysis of the corresponding samples[5];
- Defining method(s) for analysis based on selected samples;
- Investigating the limits and restrictions of the applied analytical method(s): limits of detection (LOD), limits of quantification (LOQ), mass determination and selectivity, etc.;
- Evaluating possible impurities and misinterpretations of generated analytical results.
As a recommendation for upcoming analytical methods, it should be highlighted that while analysing PFAS at parts per trillion (ppt) concentrations, superior sampling, hygiene and laboratory handling procedures, and repetition of measurements are essential to ensure statistically validated results. Proposals should thus additionally establish a standard sampling process with appropriate sample hygiene instructions for fuel cell and/or electrolyser effluents. As indicated, an understanding of the sources of emissions should be tackled within the scope of the project.
It is further suggested that an analysis should answer the question of the proper combination of targeted residuals analyses, balancing non-targeted residuals analyses of both fluorinated and non-fluorinated compounds, and methods for quantification as Total Organic Fluorine (TOF) or Total Organic Carbon (TOC). The project scope should not exclude certain chemistries from the scanning exercise, as results might be mispresented if the protocol is biased.
Projects should explore at least the following innovations:
- Representative sample taking from Low Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (LT- PEMFC) and Low Temperature – Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysers (LT- PEMWE) in application, providing an adequate statistical approach including e.g. blind samples, reference samples, multiple-sample taking, and sample redundancy;
- Development of sampling methods and hygiene protocols for emission analyses from hydrogen systems under product use;
- Development of a combination of targeted, non-targeted, and TOF, TOC or other total parameter analysis techniques for system manufacturers to understand the sources of potential PFAS emissions under product use;
- Development of a combination of targeted and non-targeted analysis techniques for policy makers to understand the amount of potential PFAS emissions of electrochemical hydrogen systems.
Proposals are encouraged to contribute to the activities of EURAMET – European Metrology Networks for Pollution Monitoring[6] which addresses the challenges of measuring chemical pollutants including PFAs.
For activities developing test protocols and procedures for the performance and durability assessment of electrolysers and fuel cell components proposals should foresee a collaboration mechanism with JRC[7] (see section 2.2.4.3 “Collaboration with JRC”), in order to support EU-wide harmonisation. Test activities should adopt the already published EU harmonised testing protocols[8] to benchmark performance and quantify progress at programme level.
Proposals are expected to contribute towards the activities of Mission Innovation 2.0 – Clean Hydrogen Mission. Cooperation with entities from Clean Hydrogen Mission member countries, which are neither EU Member States nor Horizon Europe Associated countries, is encouraged (see section 2.2.6.7 International Cooperation).
For additional elements applicable to all topics please refer to section 2.2.3.2.
The JU estimates that an EU contribution of maximum EUR 2.00 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 2025 Annual Work Plan and in the General Annexes to the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2023–2025 which apply mutatis mutandis.