The current EIC (European Innovation Council) Challenge is focused on thermal, electrical or combined thermal/electrical energy storage with a duration from days (mid-term) to seasons (long-term) for stationary applications in the mid to large scale size range. The main challenges include the maximization of the overall (production-storage-utilization) process efficiency and the assessment of new impurity-tolerant low-cost non-critical raw materials. The AELECTRA project will target the sub-challenge related to electricity storage through chemical energy carriers, to enable sectors coupling, high intermittent Renewable Energy (RE) balancing and energy systems integration, and as input material for the chemical industry or as transport fuels.
The overarching goal of the project is to deliver a plug & play energy-efficient electrochemical system that uses RE to produce liquid anhydrous ammonia, from N2 and H2. The electrochemical PEM cell enables storage of electrical energy in ammonia at mild conditions, 50 bar and room temperature (RT). The concept is depicted in the figure below. The system will be demonstrated in continuous operation at variable loads and production rates up to 1 g/h of ammonia, for a duration of 1 month at < 3.5 kWh kgNH3-1 not including the energy to produce H2. The overarching goal of the project is to deliver a plug & play energy-efficient electrochemical system that uses RE to produce liquid anhydrous ammonia, from N2 and H2. The electrochemical PEM cell enables storage of electrical energy in ammonia at mild conditions, 50 bar and RT. The system will be demonstrated in continuous operation at variable loads and production rates up to 1 g/h of ammonia, for a duration of 1 month at < 3.5 kWh kgNH3-1 not including the energy to produce H2.