Sustainable Hydrogen Technology as Affordable and Clean Energy - EIG CONCERT-Japan - 2022

The European Interest Group (EIG) CONCERT-Japan is an international joint initiative aiming at support and enhance science, technology and innovation (STI) cooperation between European countries and Japan. Former ERA-NET program from 2011 to 2014, EIG CONCERT-Japan works as an independent collaboration since 2015. Within EIG CONCERT-Japan, the French National Research Agency (ANR), together with the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and 13 other European partners, launches the international joint research call « Sustainable Hydrogen Technology as Affordable and Clean Energy ». This call is supported by 13 agencies located in the following countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey.

The 8th Joint Call of the EIG CONCERT-Japan focuses on research around the development of sustainable hydrogen technology. This includes tackling research challenges related to hydrogen production, usage and storage. A close consideration will be given to proposals that promote energy security and environmental quality.

Researchers are envisioned to explore research areas such as :

• Hydrogen Production (different mechanisms for water splitting – renewable, electrolysis, biological (fermentation), … )
• Manufacturing (fabrication methods for continuous process: scalability, cost-reduction, reliability, sensors integration, quality control, … )
• Hydrogen Storage and transportation (physical-based: gas, liquid, …; materials-based: absorbent, organichydride, metalhydride …; models, … )
• Technology applications and validation (transport, power generation, hydrogen fuel cells (catalyst, electrolytes, electrodes, models, …), heating and cooling … )
• Systems Modelling and Analysis (performance models, aging and degradation models, life cycle analysis, financial analysis, required infrastructures, lab pilots, … )

Each project consortium must consist of at least three (3) partners from three (3) countries, including Japan and two (2) different European countries.

Research projects will be funded for 36 months and should start in April 2022. Only the French parties of each selected consortium will be funded by the ANR.

Applicants are strongly advised to thoroughly read the call text, the annex for french participants and the guidelines for applicants available below.