H2 PROduction uSing Photo-ElectRolysis – PROSPER-H2
producting solar hydrogen
Photoelectrochemical hydrogen production has made huge progress since the first report of TiO2 ability to split water by Fujishima and Honda in 1972. Still photoelectrochemical cells remain at the lab level, except for one prototype of photo-assisted electrolyzer developed by ENGIE’s R&D laboratory CRIGEN now at the pilot level, that exploits a TiO2 photoanode to enhance the performance of an alkaline water-splitting electrolyzer.
General objectives
While the former system requires electrical feed from the grid, the PROSPER-H2 project aims at developing an alternative technology for a self-sustained water-splitting photoelectrochemical cell producing hydrogen out of the grid through (i) developing novel electrodes and photoelectrode materials to achieve high overall photoelectrochemical performances and stability for light-driven hydrogen production, (ii) engineering the system of materials to make a safe system working under neutral or near neutral conditions, (iii) modelling the whole device as well as optimizing light management and finally (iv) prototyping two photoelectrochemical cells at scale and testing them under realistic conditions.
PROSPER-H2 will combine efforts of ENGIE and 5 laboratories at CEA with expertise in electrocatalysis, photonics, photo-electrocatalysis, materials science, multiscale-multiphysics modelling and chemical engineering to tackle the key above-mentioned scientific challenges and produce two pre-industrial PV-biased and tandem PEC prototypes for the decentralized production of solar hydrogen.Furthermore, the consortium will address RSE implications of such technology through life-cycle analysis, technoeconomic and sociotechnical studies.
too early to tell
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Photoelectrochemical hydrogen production has made huge progress since the first report of TiO2 ability to split water by Fujishima and Honda in 1972. Still photoelectrochemical cells remain at the lab level, except for one prototype of photo-assisted electrolyzer developed by ENGIE’s R&D laboratory CRIGEN and a US start-up, Nanoptek, now at the pilot level, that exploits a TiO2 photoanode to enhance the performance of an alkaline water-splitting electrolyzer. While the former system requires electrical feed from the grid, the PROSPER-H2 project aims at developing an alternative technology for a self-sustained water-splitting photoelectrochemical cell producing hydrogen out of the grid through (i) developing novel electrodes and photoelectrode materials to achieve high overall photoelectrochemical performances and stability for light-driven hydrogen production, (ii) engineering the system of materials to make a safe system working under neutral or near neutral conditions, (iii) modelling the whole device as well as optimizing light management and finally (iv) prototyping two photoelectrochemical cells at scale and testing them under realistic conditions. PROSPER-H2 will combine efforts of ENGIE and 5 laboratories at CEA with expertise in electrocatalysis, photonics, photo-electrocatalysis, materials science, multiscale-multiphysics modelling and chemical engineering to tackle the key above-mentioned scientific challenges and produce two pre-industrial PV-biased and tandem PEC prototypes for the decentralized production of solar hydrogen.Furthermore, the consortium will address RSE implications of such technology through life-cycle analysis, technoeconomic and sociotechnical studies.
Project coordination
Vincent ARTERO (LABORATOIRE DE CHIMIE ET BIOLOGIE DES MÉTAUX)
The author of this summary is the project coordinator, who is responsible for the content of this summary. The ANR declines any responsibility as for its contents.
Partnership
LCBM LABORATOIRE DE CHIMIE ET BIOLOGIE DES MÉTAUX
Help of the ANR 600,000 euros
Beginning and duration of the scientific project:
October 2022
- 48 Months
