The FFWD – FastForward project for the development of fluorine-free water electrolysis is coordinated by Gaël Maranzana – teacher-researcher at LEMTA for France, and Mélanie Bühler – researcher at Hahn-Schickard for Germany.
It is one of 5 projects selected – following a joint call by the German (BMBF) and French (MESR) ministries (via ANR) – to address key challenges in the deployment of the hydrogen economy.
The low-carbon hydrogen we need for our energy transition is likely to be produced mainly by water electrolysis. Various mature electrolysis technologies currently coexist, but the most flexible and compact is proton exchange membrane technology (PEMWE). The membranes used are based on perfluorinated materials (PFAS), the production of which is a source of pollution and which the European Union intends to ban in the long term.
The aim of the project is to replace the proton-conducting perfluorinated membranes used in PEMWE electrolyzers with hydrocarbon membranes. In addition to the ecological benefits, these materials are intrinsically low in hydrogen permeability, can withstand high temperatures and allow easier recycling of catalysts at the end of their life. With these materials, we can also envisage higher operating temperatures and pressures, improved catalyst performance and reduced “balance of plant” complexity. However, state-of-the-art proton-conducting fluorine-free polymers still suffer from stability problems.
This project therefore involves fundamental work on the synthesis of new hydrocarbon polymers, their shaping and the optimization of operating conditions. The new materials will be developed in Germany, with cell and stack characterization carried out in France.
The Franco-German consortium comprises three industrialists: Elogen, ionysys and Syensqo,
and three academics: Hahn-Schickard, Technische Universität Chemnitz and LEMTA (Université de Lorraine – CNRS).
Within the Hydrogen and Electrochemical Systems team, the project will be led by Wissem Abderrahmane (PhD student), Feina Xu (CR CNRS), Giuseppe Sdanghi (CPJ), Sophie Didierjean (PR), Jérôme Dillet (IR CNRS) and Gaël Maranzana (PR).
Total funding from ANR and BMBF is €2.25m, including €440k for LEMTA.
The official launch took place on Friday November 29, 2024 at the French Embassy in Berlin, where the German and French coordinators met to present their projects. The launch event also provided an opportunity to discuss national hydrogen strategies, the contribution of research projects to the industrial competitiveness of the hydrogen sector, and to take a joint look at the growing hydrogen market.
