UvA researchers participate in largest Dutch research project on green hydrogen production

The Dutch Research Council NWO has announced the launch of HyPRO, the largest R&D project into green hydrogen in the Netherlands to date. With a total budget of over €50 million it aims to boost development and implementation of technology for the sustainable production of hydrogen. Researchers at the University of Amsterdam’s Van ‘t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences participate in HyPRO, receiving around €1,6 million funding.

The launch of HyPRO is motivated by the urgency of the climate and energy transition. Green, sustainable hydrogen will enable heavy industry to become more sustainable. It will also fulfil a crucial role in storing sustainable electricity from offshore wind.

Dr Amanda Garcia of electrochemistry and electrocatalytic synthesis represents HIMS/UvA in the HyPRO consortium. She says to be incredibly proud of UvA’s contribution: 'Not only do we bring our cutting-edge knowledge to the table, but we also provide an invaluable opportunity for our PhD students and postdocs to collaborate, learn, and innovate alongside some of the leading experts in the field. This kind of networking and interdisciplinary collaboration will be key to driving forward the sustainable energy solutions of the future.'

The participation of the Van ‘t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS) in HyPRO is a recognition of its expertise in chemical processess and materials from a sustainability perspective. HIMS also contributes to the university’s Research Priority Area Sustainable Chemistry, the multidisciplinary cooperation in the framework of the Amsterdam Centre for Electrochemistry, and collaborative projects in the AI for Sustainable Molecules and Materials programme at the Faculty of Science.

Hydrogen production and purification

At HIMS, two PhD’s and two postdoc researchers will focus on the development of materials and processes for hydrogen production and purification. Dr Amanda Garcia will supervise a PhD student in alkaline water electrolysis for hydrogen production. A PhD student in the group of Dr Stephania Grecea will  develop novel Metal Organic Framework materials for hydrogen purification. A postdoc researcher in the group of Dr Bernd Ensing will develop an AI approach to develop new electrode materials for Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolysers. And a postdoc with Prof. Joost Reek will investigate new developments for hydrogen carrier materials in AEM. Both postdocs will be appointed for a period of two years.

Adding to this, two HIMS spin-off companies will participate in the research. Elexel (led by PhD graduate Dr Marie Brands) will contribute to testing of electrolysis components as well as electrochemical characterization, component evaluation, scale-up and prototyping. Nano Hybrids (led by postdoc Dr Olivier Lugier) will develop new nano-particle based electrode materials to be used in Anion Exchange Membrane electrolysis.

This article was first published on 19 September by UvA.