Methane cracking to usable hydrogen and carbon

Closed

Programme Category

EU Competitive Programmes

Programme Name

Horizon Europe (2021-2027)

Programme Description

Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.

Programme Details

Identifier Code

HORIZON-CL5-2021-D2-01-09

Call

Methane cracking to usable hydrogen and carbon

Summary

A potential breakthrough technology is represented by the development of processes allowing the use of available fossil and renewable methane to economically generate hydrogen without any release of CO2 or other GHGs (as in current processes). To be advantageous on a life cycle basis, however, this requires a higher efficiency than in current processes and that the used natural or renewable gas is supplied by a chain with low upstream leakage.

Detailed Call Description

This requires the development of innovative methodologies to deliver high performance hydrogen production from methane by directly splitting the molecule in its components (hydrogen and solid carbon).

Proposals are expected to demonstrate significant advances with respect to already achieved results in Europe and outside, delivering a minimum of 50% efficiency (i.e. energy from hydrogen recovery vs energy from original methane, for instance by reducing reaction temperatures and improving catalysts), and demonstrating the potential to achieve mass production and a competitive hydrogen cost and an improved climate performance with respect to current methane based, CO2 releasing hydrogen production methods including CCS. Due consideration should be given to the management of impurities in the source stream, and to the development of the economic potential of the carbon particles delivered by the specific technology which could have a valuable end-use (e.g. synthetic graphite or carbon black) or the development of side-streams of other carbon-rich chemical compounds (excluding uses which would re-release the carbon as CO2). Each project will dedicate part of its work programme to technology assessment to consider environmental, resource and economic aspects of the deployment of the technology).

Call Total Budget

€ 15,00 million

Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan

100%

EU contribution per project: between € 2,00 and €3,00 million

Thematic Categories

  • Environment and Climate Change
  • Research, Technological Development and Innovation

Eligibility for Participation

  • Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions

Call Opening Date

24/06/2021

Call Closing Date

19/10/2021

National Contact Point(s)

Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia
P.O.Box 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Phone Number: +357 22205000
Email Address: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/

Contact Persons:
Mr Christakis Theocharous
Scientific Officer A’
Contact Phone: +357 22 205 029
Contact Email: ctheocharous@research.org.cy

Mr George Christou
Scientific Officer
Contact Phone: +357 22 205 030
Contact Email: gchristou@research.org.cy

(Publish Date: 19/07/2021-for internal use only)