EPISTORE was selected among proposals submitted for FET Proactive Emerging Paradigms and Communities call (FETPROACT-EIC-07-2020), in subtopic B: Breakthrough zero-emissions energy storage and conversion technologies for carbon-neutrality.

The EPISTORE project extends application scope of thin-film technology, a crucial technique for development of new paradigms, to both energy generation and storage. The EPISTORE approach includes use of a nanoscale materials to develop high density energy conversion devices.

The projects aims at developing pocket-sized kW-range stacks based on thin film reversible Solid Oxide Cells (TF-rSOCs) that will be able to efficiently store renewable electricity. The EPISTORE team explained the idea in the project proposal:

“Nanoscale breakthroughs and never explored materials will be combined in revolutionary TF-rSOCs giving rise to radically new ultracompact and fast response Power-to-Gas and Power-to-Power storage solutions with superior performance (hydrogen production of 10kg/l per hour and specific power of 2.5kW/kg) and negligible use of critical raw materials (50mg/kW). In order to enable this science-to-technology step forward, our nano-enabled TF-rSOCs will be integrated in scalable silicon technology to show their viability as a potentially low-cost new paradigm of large-scale energy storage.”

As outcome, the new technology could find applications especially where the use of batteries is inefficient due to size constraints or long term storage requirements, e.g. in off-shore power generation or transportation.

The EPISTORE team adds: “EPISTORE aims to generate disruptive energy technology mimicking the transformation of the electronics field in the past decades. We will develop reliable reversible electrochemical cells based on advanced thin film ionic-electronic conductors, which will enable the implementation of outstanding genuine nanoscale phenomena. Thin film-based EPISTORE technology will also be intrinsically compact involving ultralow contents of critical raw materials.”

EPISTORE addresses its challenging objective by building an interdisciplinary research consortium that includes leading researchers in modelling, micro- and nano-technologies, materials science and energy together with high-tech pioneer SMEs from Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, France and Switzerland. The coordinating institution is Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (Institut de Recerca de l'Energia de Catalunya, IREC). The project starts in January 2021 and will run for 48 months.

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.

Picture: © PIRO4D, Pixabay.com