The European SWITCH project, coordinated by the Bruno Kessler Foundation, has won the Energy Globe Award 2023 as the best Italian initiative in the field of energy sustainability. The prestigious award was presented on Thursday, 2 November by the Austrian Commercial Consul, Christoph Plank, in the hands of the director of FBK's Sustainable Energy Centre, Luigi Crema, and the project coordinator, Matteo Testi.
The SWITCH project
SWITCH (Smart Ways for In-Situ Totally Integrated and Continuous Multisource Generation of Hydrogen) is a European project aimed at developing a prototype for the production of hydrogen for mobility based on solid oxide cell technology.
«The SWITCH system is going to be a technology for hydrogen production designed for refueling stations but also for any industrial user interested in decarbonizing processes guaranteeing at the same time their continuity. The innovation of the SWITCH concept is the production of hydrogen both through electrolysis by renewable resources and through low-Co2-emission processes, guaranteeing supply, as much renewable as possible, and producing also electricity and heat».
Matteo Testi, FBK researcher and SWITCH project coordinator
The project was financed by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking (now the Clean Hydrogen Partnership) with funds from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe Research. Among the project partners is SolydEra (formerly SolydPower), a Trentino-based manufacturer of stack cells and fuel cell modules for various applications, with which FBK also collaborated on the CH2P project.
Find out more about CH2P and the partnership between FBK and SolydEra >>
The SWITCH system
The heart of the technology will be a reversible solid oxide cell (SOC) that operates in two ways: electrolysis (SOE) and fuel cell (SOFC).
- In the SOE mode, the SWITCH system will use electricity generated from renewable sources to produce green hydrogen. Through electrolysis, renewable electricity will be used to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.
- The SOFC mode power supply can be natural gas or biomethane.
By offering a cost-effective and continuous supply of H2 to hydrogen refueling stations, the SWITCH system aims to become a key technology for the transition to a carbon-neutral energy and mobility system in Europe, with crucial consequences for people’s health and improved infrastructure.
The Energy Globe Award
With more than 180 participating countries, the Energy Globe Award is defined as the most prestigious environmental award internationally. It is awarded annually by the Energy Globe Foundation to environmental protection, sustainable projects or sustainability awareness campaigns.
«This award is an acknowledgement to the commitment of our researchers and innovators and adds value to our local collaboration with the company SolydEra. We wish to thank the European program of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership for funding with European funds the SWITCH project».
Luigi Crema, Director of FBK Sustainable Energy Centre and President of Hydrogen Europe Research (HER)
The award at the national level qualifies for participation in the international award to be decided in the coming months.
Hydrogen, an asset for the decarbonisation of Trentino
Trentino has been investing in hydrogen research for some time now, considering it one of the energy resources of the future to achieve the decarbonisation objective strongly requested by the European Union. In the various actions implemented, research centres and companies are also involved at the forefront, stimulating experimental projects and private investment through public funds or funding programmes.
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