HyCARE stimulates the curiosity of the public with regards to the storage of hydrogen, in particul through the metal hydrides.

On Monday 23 May 2023, not one.. but three articles were published with regards to our Project!

“Idrogeno per stoccare energia rinnovabile: il progetto europeo HyCARE” is the title of the article published by the HUB Green&Blue on the Italian newspapers that are part of this editorial project: La Repubblica, La Stampa and Secolo XIX.

The article starts with the interview of Marcello Baricco, Professor at the University of Turin and Coordinator of the project HyCARE, who explains the project, the technology and the importance of the hydrogen storage.

Green&Blue is a multi-channel content system dedicated to sustainability and the environment. An editorial project with a digital focus, available on various platforms, accessible on all GEDI Group newspapers. Green and blue are the colors of the environment that meets science and the economy, which unite the young generations concerned about the future of the planet with companies that carry out research and propose solutions.

Read the article on La Repubblica

The TOYP award by JCI (Junior Chamber International) is a program that aims to promote and recognize worldwide young people between the ages of 18 and 40 who have contributed with their activities to the economic, cultural and individual progress of our times, so that they can serve as an example for their peers. Conceived in 1931 by Dorward Howes, president of the United States Chamber of Commerce, it was officially adopted by the Junior Chamber International in the 1980s. Since then, the best young people from all over the world have been awarded every year.

The 31st national edition of the Toyp Award (The Outstanding young person) was held on Saturday 6 May, hosted by Confcommercio Busto Arsizio and Medio Olona, in collaboration with the Varese provincial section of JCI and the Young Entrepreneurs Group of Confcommercio, as well as the historic synergy with the Lions Club Busto Arsizio Host and the patronage of the Municipality of Busto Arsizio.

Erika Michela Dematteis, researcher at the Chemistry Department of UniTo, won the TOYP Italia 2023 Prize in Research.

In 2019 Erika Michela Dematteis had a 1-year post-doctoral fellowship in Paris where she was involved in the HyCARE project, supported by Horizon 2020 of the European Union. During the project, Erika optimized and selected a suitable material for the development of an integrated production and storage plant of renewable hydrogen on a large scale. For the studies carried out on the uses of hydrogen in the energy sector, for the dedication and passion dedicated to its research, thus translating into action the JCI guideline according to which “the brotherhood of men transcends the sovereignty of nations”.

Congratulations Erika!

More information at the following links:

UNITO News: http://www.unitonews.it/index.php/it/news_detail/la-ricercatrice-erika-michela-dematteis-vince-il-premio-toyp-italia-2023-nella-ricerca

Varese News: https://www.varesenews.it/2023/05/premiati-a-busto-i-piu-promettenti-talenti-under-40/1607705/

Rete 55: https://www.rete55.it/notizie/sociale/busto-a-4-nuovi-giovani-talenti-il-premio-toyp-2023/

Last April 21^st, 2023, the final event of HyCARE Project took place in Paris with an exhibition entitled “The HyCARE system. Opportunities and challenges of the energy storage sector”. The show hosted by ENGIE Lab Crigen in cooperation with CNRS aimed to show the main results of activities carried out during the HyCARE Project, supported by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, and coordinated by the University of Turin.

The day started with the presentation of the project activities, outlining the process for testing and tailoring the hydrogen carrier as well as those related to the production and processing. Heat management was also a fundamental topic, together with the description of the design and building of the tank, the system integration, its commissioning, and validation. Finally, the techno-economic analysis was explained together with a short overview of exploitation and dissemination activities implemented.

Following the Partners’ presentations, HyCARE hosted other three EU projects COSMHYC, SHERLOHCK and HyPSTER on hydrogen storage topic that presented their activities and shared their own experience.

Finally a Stakeholder Roundtable was moderated by HyCARE Coordinator, Marcello Baricco, with Patricia De Rango – Member of Task 40 of Hydrogen Technology Collaboration Programme (Hydrogen TCP) within the International Energy Agency, Olivier Joubert – Director of the French Federation of Hydrogen Energy FRH2, Abdelilah Slaoui – Director of the CNRS Task Force on Energy and co-director of the PEPRH2, Pierre Roy, Director of European Strategic Collaborative Program, Enterprise relationships Directorate at CNRS. The discussion focused on the big challenges of hydrogen storage in the future.

The event wrapped up with the visit to the demonstrator guided by Jose M. Bellosta von Colbe – expert on metal hydrides from Hereon, who explained the functioning and components in the container, followed by the visit to the laboratories of ENGIE Lab CRIGEN guided by Reda Bellahcene and Olivier Lefranc, from ENGIE.

“It has been a great challenge” – says prof. Marcello Baricco, of the University of Turin and project coordinator – “but we are now happy to demonstrate the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier. The theoretical studies on metal hydrides, performed in last years in European laboratories, find now a real application at a large scale. The combination of Metal Hydrides with Phase Change Materials for the thermal management of a hydrogen storage system was claimed since a while, but now it is a realty. We really thank the Clean Hydrogen Partnership for the financial support to the project. All partners have worked together with professionalism and enthusiasm, allowing to reach the final goal of the HyCARE project.”

Download the complete press release.

Credits: Franck DUNOUAU

Helmholtz-Zentrum hereon GmbH is partner to the HyCARE Project where provides simulations and testing for the HyCARE demonstration plant. The centre is active in the research fields of materials and coastal research. In terms of hydrogen technology, Hereon focuses on the study of hydrogen storage materials and composites, on the production processes and on the developing prototypes.

Jose Bellosta von Colbe, Senior scientist at Hereon, represented the HyCARE Project in the discussion panel “Hydrogen Distribution & Storage: the Cornerstone of the Future European Hydrogen Economy” at the HANNOVER MESSE, on 17 April 2023.

The panel was moderated by Jean Bergevin, Head of the Hydrogen Taskforce of the European Union, and saw the participation of Jose Bellosta von Colbe (Hereon), Bert Kwietet (Gasunie), Arnaud Reveillere (Geostock) and Ralf Ott (Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies). The focus was the challenges and opportunities for the hydrogen infrastructure in Europe.

The event was supported by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership in collaboration with the Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW).

Read more about the panel at this link.

Check here the agenda of the fair: https://www.hannovermesse.de/en/

The “Spring School Hydrogen Technology” took place from 27th to 31st of March 2023 in Lauenburg, and saw the participation of 50 participants among master and PhD students, interested in learning about the whole process chain, starting from hydrogen production over storage and transport to end use and applications. 42 speakers from industry and research presented the whole range of the hydrogen economy and fostered intensive discussions.

Among the speakers there were also HyCARE Partners who mentioned HyCARE and the developments of their activities!

On Wednesday, 28th of March, Mirko Ante from GKN Hydrogen presented “Applications for Metal Hydrides”, while on Thursday, 30th March, Holger Stühff from Stühff GmbH give the presentation entitled “Metal hydride hydrogen storage systems – a sustainable business model? The Development of a Coppersmith into a Hydrogen Tank Manufacturer” will present his company as a kind of startup in the hydrogen field.

The event has been organized by the HyCARE Partner Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, together with the DLR Institute of Maritime Energy Systems in Geesthacht, the DLR Institute of Networked Energy Systems in Oldenburg, and the FH Westküste University of Applied Sciences in Heide.

Be ready for the next edition!

Read the entire news at this link!

Link to the Spring School website, at this link

On 21 April 2023, the Partners of HyCARE Project will meet in Paris at ENGIE Lab CRIGEN!

The French corporate R&D center of the ENGIE Group hosts the demonstration plant, where the Consortium will finally meet again in person in occasion of the event “The HyCARE system. Opportunities and challenges of the energy storage sector“.

The rich agenda include presentations of the activities done and results obtained during the project, as well as the description of the next and final steps before the end of the project, which will be in July 2023.

The agenda also see the participation of other European projects, which have been invited to present their technologies and foster future collaborations within common innovative sectors, and a panel discussion among well-known hydrogen associations!

Are we too misterious? We are not going to reveal too much.. it will be a surprise!

What is certain is that the invited participants will have the opportunity to see the HyCARE demonstrator and visit the laboratiories of ENGIE Lab CRIGEN!

Stay tuned!

The UNITA Universitas Montium is an alliance of six universities from five countries (France, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Spain). It envisages promoting the socio economic development of their rural and cross-border mountain areas.

The University of Turin participates in the H2020 Project “Research for UNITA (RE-UNITA)“, which will focus on the aim of the alliance, so it becomes a major player in the creation of the new European Research Area. One of the core research subjects of the project is Renewable energies.

In the newsletter No. 11 of the Re-UNITA, the HyCARE project is mentioned.

In the afternoon of today, 6 December 2022, the Project Partners of HyCARE met online for the 9th project meeting.

The Consortium has been updated on the state of art of each Work Package and… there are important news coming soon! The tanks are moving to ENGIE Lab, while the Public Exhibition is being organised!

Stay tuned!

“Progetto HyCARE per lo stoccaggio di H2: ricercatori di Fondazione Bruno Kessler e ENGIE in visita ad Amburgo” is the title of the article published by the online Journal HydroNews.

Read the article here: HydroNews

HyCARE’s researchers of the University Of Turin  (Italy), the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France), the Helmholtz-Zentrum hereon GmbH (Germany), together with the Institute for Energy Technology (Norway) published the results of the analysis of neutron diffraction data.

Abstract:

Hydrogen is an efficient energy carrier that can be produced from renewable sources, enabling the transition towards CO2-free energy. Hydrogen can be stored for a long period in the solid-state, with suitable alloys. Ti-rich TiFe0.90 compound exhibits a mild activation process for the first hydrogenation, and Ti(Fe,Mn)0.90 substituted alloys can lead to the fine tuning of equilibrium pressure as a function of the final application. In this study, the crystal structure of TiFe(0.90-x)Mnx alloys (x = 0, 0.05 and 0.10) and their deuterides has been determined by in-situ neutron diffraction, while recording Pressure-Composition Isotherms at room temperature. The investigation aims at analysing the influence of Mn for Fe substitution in Ti-rich Ti(Fe,Mn)0.90 alloys on structural properties during reversible deuterium loading, which is still unsolved and seldom explored. After activation, samples have been transferred into custom-made stainless-steel and aluminium alloy cells used for in-situ neutron diffraction experiments during deuterium loading at ILL and ISIS neutron facilities, respectively. The study enables remarkable understanding on hydrogen storage, basic structural knowledge, and support to the industrial application of TiFe-type alloys for integrated hydrogen tank in energy storage systems by determining the volume expansion during deuteration. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that different contents of Mn do not significantly change the volumetric expansion during phase transitions, affecting only the deuterium content for the γ phase and the cell evolution for the β phase. The study confirms that the deuterated structures of the γ phase upon absorption, β and α phase upon desorption, correspond to S.G. Cmmm, P2221 and Pm-3m, respectively.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.06.295

The article is available in Open access at this link.