CleanHME gained support under the Horizon 2020 Framework, as a successful applicant for the Pathfinder (FET Proactive: Emerging Paradigms and Communities) 2019 call, in a subtopic “Breakthrough zero-emissions energy generation for full decarbonisation”.

The main aim of the CleanHME is to develop a new, clean, safe, compact and very efficient energy source based on Hydrogen-Metal and plasma systems, which could be a breakthrough for both private use as well as for industrial applications.

The CleanHME team specifies the fundamental core of the research in the project proposal:

“Hydrogen-Metal Energy (HME) is gained when hydrogen reacts with some metals under slightly increased temperature and pressure. First experiments have shown that the total heat energy produced exceeds by many orders of magnitude the chemical energy and strongly depends on applied active metallic materials and gas conditions in special reactors. Furthermore, accelerator experiments performed at higher energies of hydrogen isotopes have shown that the reaction rates can be enhanced by many orders of magnitude due to so-called electron screening effect if metallic samples with special nanostructures or crystal lattice defects are utilized.”

The potential of HME have been attracting research institutions in the USA, Japan, Canada or China. CleanHME wants to join the current race for mastering this concept, raise its Technological Readiness Level and bring breakthrough success to Europe.  

The research work includes developing better active materials and analysing their possible applications. As a result, the project could provide solutions to address the climate change challenge and thus contribute to the emergence of a new paradigm in energy production.

CleanHME represents a unique joint effort of 16 participants from Poland, Germany, Slovenia, Italy, Sweden, Slovakia, France, Belgium and Canada. The coordinating institution is University of Szczecin (Uniwersytet Szczeciński). The 48-month project started in August 2020.

Background information

FET-Open and FET Proactive are now part of the Enhanced European Innovation Council (EIC) Pilot (specifically the Pathfinder), the new home for deep-tech research and innovation in Horizon 2020, the EU funding programme for research and innovation.