Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (National Council of Research-Italy), is a public research organization; its duties are to carry out, promote, spread and transfer research activities in the main sectors of knowledge growth and use this research for the scientific, technological, economic and social development of the Country. CNR is composed of 7 main departments covering different fields. The total number of CNR employees amounts to about 8000. The Institute for Advanced Energy Technologies (CNR-ITAE), is located in Messina (Italy). CNR-ITAE belongs to Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, in particular to the Department: Engineering, ICT and Technologies for Energy and Transportation. The institute has two locations covering about 7000 m2, divided into laboratories, offices, conference rooms, library etc.
The research activity of CNR-ITAE is based on a mixture of basic and applied research, carried out through a multidisciplinary approach. CNR-ITAE is focused on innovating electrochemical energy conversion technologies through up-to-date knowledge in materials science, micro- and nano-technologies, polymer science, and system engineering. The permanent staff of the CNR-ITAE Institute is composed of 75 researchers, and 25 among technicians and administrative personnel. CNR-ITAE has participated to several previous research projects dealing with electrocatalysis, water electrolysis and power-to-fuel investigating various approaches for coupling renewable power sources with hydrogen and organic fuel lectrochemical generation. In particular, CNR-ITAE has been involved as both coordinator and partner in various EUfunded projects researching electrocatalysis, water electrolysis and fuel cells (H2020 NEPTUNE, H2020 LOTERCO2.M, H2020 HPEM2GAS, FP7 ELECTROHYPEM, FP7 DURAMET, FP7 IMPACT, FP7 QUASIDRY, FP6 AUTOBRANE etc.). CNR-ITAE has been the coordinator of an Italian FIRB project named RINNOVA that has dealt with the direct coupling of renewable power sources with electrochemical energy storage devices including electrolysers. CNR-ITAE has also coordinated the FP7 Electrohypem project dealing with the development of novel solutions for PEM electrolysis in terms of materials and stack components and the coupling of a wind turbine with a PEM electrolyser. CNR-ITAE is presently coordinating the FCH JU HPEM2GAS that is regarding power- to-gas activities and demonstration a 180- 300 kW-scale electrolyser with injection in the gas-grid of the produced hydrogen.
Country: Italy
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“A step-change is necessary in the field of hydrogen technologies in order to widely deploy them in the transport, industry, residential and stationary sectors by 2050, when a large penetration of renewable energy is expected to cover almost 100 % of energy production. Technologies have to be financially viable (competitive) to make a difference. For the electrolytic green hydrogen production, it is vital to develop game changer solutions to avoid precious metal catalysts and use cheap membranes while keeping the advantages of polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysis technology in terms of performance, efficiency, safety, gas purity and dynamic behaviour. ANIONE is addressing these aspects to contribute in making hydrogen the future energy carrier.” ‘CNR-ITAE – Antonino S. Aricò ‘