„Opracowanie technologii oraz wdrożenie do produkcji stalowych elementów stosów węglanowych ogniw paliwowych”

Project co-financed from European Funds, implemented by Fuel Cell Poland sp. z o.o. and the Warsaw University of Technology.

Project title: „Opracowanie technologii oraz wdrożenie do produkcji stalowych elementów stosów węglanowych ogniw paliwowych”

Program: Fundusze Europejskie dla Nowoczesnej Gospodarki 2021–2027

Priority: FENG.01.01 Ścieżka SMART

Project number: FENG.01.01-IP.01-A12S/25

Call reference number: FENG.01.01-IP.01-003/24 – Ścieżka SMART Projekty realizowane w konsorcjach

The project is co-financed by the European Union.

The aim of the project is to develop and validate an innovative technological solution for the modern energy sector, particularly in the area of hydrogen technologies and fuel cells. The project covers research and development work related to the selection, preparation, and evaluation of materials, conducting experimental studies, as well as the construction and commissioning of research infrastructure enabling the testing of the developed technology under near-real-world conditions.

The implementation of the project will increase the technology readiness level of the solution and prepare it for further development, commercialization, and deployment in economic practice.

As part of the project, research and development work will be carried out, including technology development, materials and experimental research, as well as preparation of the solution for production implementation.

The project results will be directed primarily to entities operating in the modern energy sector, including companies interested in implementing hydrogen technologies, fuel cell solutions, and low-emission energy generation and utilization systems.

Indirect recipients of the project may also include energy technology integrators, manufacturers of components and technological systems, research units, and entities seeking innovative solutions to support the energy transition.

Project value: 4 157 805.21 PLN

Amount of contribution from European Funds: 3 208 816.75 PLN

The project is carried out by a consortium. Information on the project value and co-financing relates to the entire project implemented by the consortium.

„Modular system based on Molten Carbonate Electrolysis supported by solar energy designed for synthetic fuels generation”

ENG

Modular system based on Molten Carbonate Electrolysis supported by solar energy designed for synthetic fuels generation

Project value and funding

Total eligible project costs: PLN 4,634,194.82
Total requested funding: PLN 4,432,162.82

The budget covers activities carried out by both Polish and Swiss consortium partners:

budget of Polish entities: PLN 3,284,426.25,
budget of Swiss entities: PLN 1,349,768.57.

Project relevance

The MOLCAR project responds to the need for efficient, scalable and low-emission technologies for the production of synthetic fuels. The technology developed within the project may be applied in the energy sector, industry and renewable energy storage systems.

The expected project impacts include:

reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,
increased efficiency of solar energy utilisation,
development of CO₂ capture and utilisation technologies,
improved energy security,
support for the transition towards a low-carbon economy,
strengthening of scientific and industrial cooperation between Poland and Switzerland.

Funding statement

The project is co-financed by the Swiss Financial Assistance supporting measures to reduce economic and social disparities within the European Union and by the state budget through the National Centre for Research and Development.

PL

Modular system based on Molten Carbonate Electrolysis supported by solar energy designed for synthetic fuels generation

Akronim projektu: MOLCAR
Program: Program Badania Naukowe i Innowacje, Badania Stosowane / Research and Innovation Programme, Applied Research
Numer wniosku: SPPW/MOLCAR/0087/2024
Okres realizacji projektu: 01.03.2025–29.02.2028
Czas trwania: 36 miesięcy

O projekcie

Projekt MOLCAR dotyczy opracowania modułowego systemu do produkcji paliw syntetycznych z wykorzystaniem technologii elektrolizy węglanów stopionych, wspieranej energią słoneczną. Rozwiązanie będzie oparte na integracji technologii Molten Carbonate Electrolysis — MCE z systemem wykorzystującym energię słoneczną, w szczególności z obiegiem wysokotemperaturowych stopionych soli.

Celem projektu jest opracowanie, budowa i walidacja prototypowego systemu klasy 12 kW, który umożliwi konwersję dwutlenku węgla i wody do gazów syntezowych wykorzystywanych do produkcji paliw syntetycznych. System będzie projektowany z myślą o zastosowaniach w koncepcji power-to-liquid, w której nadwyżki energii ze źródeł odnawialnych są magazynowane w postaci paliw syntetycznych.

Technologia rozwijana w projekcie ma przyczynić się do zwiększenia efektywności wykorzystania odnawialnych źródeł energii, ograniczenia emisji CO₂ oraz rozwoju nowoczesnych rozwiązań dla sektora energetycznego i przemysłowego.

Cel projektu

Głównym celem projektu jest opracowanie i przygotowanie do komercjalizacji zintegrowanego systemu CSP–MCE, łączącego skoncentrowaną energię słoneczną z elektrolizą węglanów stopionych.

Projekt zakłada w szczególności:

opracowanie i przetestowanie zaawansowanych materiałów dla systemów CSP i MCE,
przygotowanie modeli numerycznych umożliwiających optymalizację projektu systemu,
budowę i walidację stosu MCE o mocy 12 kW,
przeprowadzenie testów przemysłowych w celu potwierdzenia długoterminowej pracy systemu,
opracowanie rozwiązań umożliwiających skalowanie technologii,
przygotowanie technologii do wejścia na rynek, w tym analizę rynku, plan komercjalizacji i działania związane z ochroną własności intelektualnej.

Planowane rezultaty

W ramach projektu planowane jest osiągnięcie następujących rezultatów:

opracowanie prototypowego stosu MCE klasy 12 kW,
demonstracja stabilnej pracy układu w warunkach zbliżonych do przemysłowych,
opracowanie strategii zarządzania ciepłem w zintegrowanym systemie CSP–MCE,
przygotowanie modeli numerycznych i cyfrowych narzędzi wspierających projektowanie systemu,
opracowanie skalowalnych procesów produkcyjnych dla przyszłych instalacji,
przygotowanie raportów rynkowych, biznesowych i regulacyjnych,
publikacje naukowe, działania szkoleniowe oraz upowszechnianie wyników projektu.

Zgodnie z założeniami projektu technologia ma osiągnąć końcowy poziom gotowości technologicznej TRL 6, tj. demonstrację technologii w środowisku istotnym z punktu widzenia zastosowań przemysłowych.

Konsorcjum projektu

Projekt realizowany jest przez międzynarodowe konsorcjum, którego liderem jest Warsaw University of Technology.

Partnerzy projektu:

Warsaw University of Technology / Politechnika Warszawska – lider konsorcjum
Jednostka: Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering
Strona internetowa: https://www.pw.edu.pl/
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne / EPFL – partner szwajcarski
Jednostka: Laboratory of Renewable Energy Science and Engineering
Strona internetowa: https://lrese.epfl.ch
Fuel Cell Poland Sp. z o.o. – partner przemysłowy
Strona internetowa: http://fuelcell.pl

Wartość projektu i dofinansowanie

Całkowite koszty kwalifikowalne projektu: 4 634 194,82 PLN
Całkowite dofinansowanie: 4 432 162,82 PLN

Budżet obejmuje działania polskich i szwajcarskich partnerów konsorcjum:

budżet podmiotów polskich: 3 284 426,25 PLN,
budżet podmiotów szwajcarskich: 1 349 768,57 PLN.

Znaczenie projektu

Projekt MOLCAR odpowiada na potrzebę opracowania efektywnych, skalowalnych i niskoemisyjnych technologii produkcji paliw syntetycznych. Rozwijana technologia może znaleźć zastosowanie w sektorze energetycznym, przemyśle oraz w systemach magazynowania energii opartych na odnawialnych źródłach.

Oczekiwane efekty projektu obejmują:

ograniczenie emisji gazów cieplarnianych,
zwiększenie efektywności wykorzystania energii słonecznej,
rozwój technologii wychwytu i wykorzystania CO₂,
zwiększenie bezpieczeństwa energetycznego,
wsparcie transformacji w kierunku gospodarki niskoemisyjnej,
rozwój współpracy naukowo-przemysłowej pomiędzy Polską i Szwajcarią.

Informacja o finansowaniu

Projekt dofinansowany przez Szwajcarską Pomoc Finansową wspierającą zmniejszanie różnic gospodarczych i społecznych w UE oraz ze środków budżetu państwa poprzez Narodowe Centrum Badań i Rozwoju.

CLEARNESS „Gospodarka w obiegu zamkniętym krytycznymi surowcami w technologii produkcji elementów ogniw paliwowych w oparciu o zużyte ogniwa paliwowe i elektrolizery” (Circular product design applied to the recovery of critical raw elements from electrolyzers and fuel cells at their end of life)

Wzór: https://www.itc.pw.edu.pl/Projekty/CLEARNESS

Circular recovery and reuse of critical metals for high-temperature fuel cells and electrolyzers

Consortium:

Warsaw University of Technology (Coordinator, Poland);
University of Aveiro (Portugal);
Fuel Cell Poland sp. z o.o. (Poland);
Eskisehir Technical University (Turkey).

CLEARNESS advances circular economy solutions for high-temperature electrochemical devices. By combining low-cost physical separation with materials engineering, the project aims to recover valuable metals (including noble and rare earth elements) from spent cell components and reintroduce them into new electrodes for molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC) and molten carbonate electrolysis (MCE).

Concept: from end-of-life cells to new components

Work packages and data flow

Highlights

Recycling route based on disassembly, shredding/milling, and magnetic and electrostatic separation.
Characterization and post-processing of recovered fractions to restore activity and transport properties.
Electrode fabrication and electrochemical testing in MCFC and MCE under relevant operating conditions.
Sustainability quantified through life cycle assessment (LCA) and exergy-based optimization.

Work streams

WP1 – Characterize reference and recycled materials; define post-processing guidelines.
WP2 – Design and validate the recycling process and pilot-scale installation.
WP3 – Integrate recovered materials into cell components and validate performance via electrochemical testing.
WP4 – Perform process optimization and life cycle sustainability assessment.
WP5 – Project management, dissemination, and exploitation planning.

“Modular system based on Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells with tailored composite membranes designed for specific flue gas compositions oriented into CCS integration with an industrial power plant”

Fuel Cell Poland is a member of the consortium for the MOLCAR project. The project is co-financed under the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014–2021. The operator of the "Applied Research" programme is the National Centre for Research and Development.

Project title: Modular system based on Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells with tailored composite membranes designed for specific flue gas compositions oriented into CCS integration with an industrial power plant

Implementation period: 2020-2023

Project number: NOR/POLNORCCS/MOLCAR/00-17/2020

Entities implementing the project: project leader – Warsaw University of Technology, partners: Fuel Cell Poland sp. z o.o. and SINTEF AS.

Project description: Progressive climate change, including CO2 emissions from commercial power plants, poses a challenge for the energy sector as a whole – not only is high efficiency in emission reduction required, but the solution must also be as non-invasive as possible with respect to conventional technologies. The technology being developed, based on MCFC fuel cells, will be able to cooperate with various flue gas sources (such as coal- or gas-fired power plants) and, if needed, convert the captured CO2 into a form that can be directly fed into a Sabatier reactor – i.e., produce synthetic fuel to be fed into the natural gas grid. During the project, a modular system for CO2 separation from energy-related flue gases will be developed using MCFC technology. If hydrogen produced from renewable sources is used, CO2 will become an intermediate energy storage medium for large-scale applications, addressing two key issues: CO2 emissions and the utilization of energy from intermittent renewable sources, while maintaining conventional power plants (both coal- and gas-fired), which in such a setup will become a closed-loop element in the natural CO2 cycle and will reduce the need to import fuels from abroad.

For more information on NMF 2014-2021 visit https://eeagrants.org/

„Modułowa mikro-kogeneracja oparta o węglanowe ogniwa paliwowe przewidziana do integracji z kotłami centralnego ogrzewania w celu pracy modelu prosumenta” (Modular micro-cogeneration based on molten carbonate fuel cells designed for integration with central heating boilers to work in the prosumer model)

Template on the Warsaw University of Technology website: https://www.itc.pw.edu.pl/Projekty/MEMORABLE

MEMORABLE

Modular micro-cogeneration based on molten carbonate fuel cells designed for integration with central heating boilers to work in the prosumer model

Project number: POIR.01.01.01-00-0579/20

Acronym: MEMORABLE

Implementation period: 1.12.2020-30.11.2023

Consortium: Leader: FUEL CELL POLSKA Sp. z o.o., Partners: Institute of Heat Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology; Termet Spółka Akcyjna

Amount of financial support: total eligible expenditure: PLN 6,355,948.14; co-financing: PLN 4,081,635.93 (including ITC PW: PLN 1,832,355.00)

Project manager at ITC PW:: prof. dr hab. inż. Jarosław Milewski

The project is being carried out by the team from the Department of Power Machines and Equipment.

Project description:

The aim of the project is to develop and construct a micro-cogeneration system based on a Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell (MCFC) stack. Such a device can be a key component of systems designed for prosumer operation, which implement the concept of using the power grid as an energy storage system. Additionally, MCFC cells enable an improvement in the overall efficiency of domestic central heating installations. MCFC fuel cells offer a number of advantages over low-temperature PAFC and PEM fuel cells, which are currently in the commercialization phase. As part of the project, R&D work will be carried out focused on the development, construction, and demonstration of a prototype 5 kW system with an MCFC stack that achieves an efficiency of over 60%, giving an overall process efficiency (including heat) of approximately 90% (in relation to the fuel's calorific value). The MCFC stack is a repeatable component that can be combined into larger modules for the construction of high-power systems. The simultaneous generation of electricity and heat for central heating purposes allows the fuel cell module to be integrated with a gas boiler, which significantly increases the reliability of such a micro-cogeneration unit – for example, in the event of a power grid failure – and enables electricity production in a prosumer model using high-efficiency cogeneration. This is of key importance, as it allows for the simultaneous production of electricity and heat with minimal CO2 emissions.

“Oprogramowanie optymalizujące pracę ogniw MCFC pod kątem efektywności energetycznej z jednoczesnym wychwytem CO2 ze spalin” (Software to optimise the operation of MCFC cells for energy efficiency with simultaneous capture of CO2 from the exhaust gas)

Software to optimise the operation of MCFC cells for energy efficiency with simultaneous capture of CO2 from the exhaust gas

Project number: POIR.01.01.01-00-0357/22-00

Acronym: SPIRITUOUS

Implementation period: 1.01.2023-30.11.2023

Consortium: Leader: FUEL CELL POLSKA Sp. z o.o., Partner: Institute of Heat Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology

Project description:

PROJECT GOAL:

The aim of the project is to carry out R&D work concerning the development of software that optimizes the operation of MCFC cells for energy efficiency while simultaneously capturing CO2 from flue gases, for industrial applications, as well as in the maritime transport and energy sectors. The developed system, implemented in a high-efficiency MCFC fuel cell system, will provide a competitive advantage in the market by offering functionalities that customers expect. The project will be carried out in 4 stages, of which stage 1 is industrial research and stages 2–4 are experimental development work. The total project duration is 11 months.

TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGES:

Automatic optimization of the entire fuel cell system has not yet been brought to market. The greatest challenge is the lack of flexible, automatic parameter adjustment due to the high dynamics of operation — gas flows, temperatures, thermal and electrical energy off-take change at different rates, which makes control difficult.

INNOVATIVENESS:

The project proposes the development of a globally innovative solution – software that optimizes the operation of MCFC cells for energy efficiency while simultaneously capturing CO2 from flue gases. The market advantages are demonstrated by the features of the new products:
– effective prediction of MCFC cell operation control
– precise system control
– increased CO2 separation efficiency.

The results of the project will be implemented by incorporating the R&D outcomes into the company's own business operations. The project result will be offered in the form of an intelligent device for efficient CO2 separation with simultaneous energy production, intended primarily for use on ships and at coal-fired power plants both domestically and abroad.

Total eligible expenditure for the Consortium: PLN 6,375,886.25,

Co-financing: PLN 4,609,913.75 (including ITC PW: PLN 1,960,955.00)

PROJECT CO-FINANCED BY THE EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND