We aim at building a scientific network to address the selective catalytic reduction of NOx in exhaust gas of diesel vehicles based on Cu-zeolite catalysts, which is the basis of the current technology implemented in diesel exhaust systems all over the world to meet the emission requirements imposed by law. These catalysts deactivate, i.e. the performance deteriorates with time, due to the high temperatures in the exhaust systems and the impact of the exhaust gas on the structure of the catalyst material. A notorious problem is the sensitivity of Cu-zeolites to the small amounts of SO2 that usually are present in a diesel exhaust gas, which limits their applicability an may also cause malfunction of an exhaust system. The goal of the network is to develop a fundamental molecular-level understanding of the processes that lead to the deterioration of the catalysts in general, with an enhanced focus on the impact of SO2, and to implement this knowledge in the development of improved materials for application in exhaust systems. We will address the deactivation of Cu-zeolite catalysts by combining four different approaches. First, state-of-the-art computational modeling based on density functional theory (DFT), to develop a detailed insight in the chemical processes leading to deactivation. Second, advanced spectroscopic characterization, including in-situ/operando techniques, to confirm the relevant chemical structures experimentally, and to be able to follow the processes that lead to deactivation. Third, microkinetic analysis to provide the necessary data to describe the deactivation process, and finally, the development of models that describe the deactivation processes with the aim to be implemented in the application for exhaust systems. The required competences and facilities will be made available to 4 early stage researchers (ESRs) in a network including two expert academic research groups, and two industrial units with complementary skills.

Diesel passenger vehicles represent an attractive long term solution to meet european CO2 emission reduction targets. As they also have to fulfill the stringent European pollutants emissions standards, these vehicles are equipped with complex and expensive aftertreatment systems. Active catalytic elements are Platinum Group Metal (PGM) and Rare Earth metal Oxides (REO), such as doped ceria. Next generations of Diesel engines will be even more fuel efficient. One of the consequences is the exhaust temperature decrease, obliging the catalytic post-treatment to be much more effective. This activity gain cannot be achieved with higher loadings of PGM and REO as these two families of catalysts are under the 14 critical raw materials with a limited world annual production mainly occurring outside Europe. Therefore, a breakthrough in the formulation of Diesel exhaust aftertreatment catalysts is clearly necessary to achieve higher catalytic activity with lower PGM and REO contents. This issue is crucial for German and French car manufacturers as technology and market leaders in the field of Diesel engines. The ORCA (Oxidation/Reduction CAtalysts) project will be focus on two functionalities within the Diesel exhaust catalyst system that are responsible for the largest part of PGM and REO usage: the NOx reduction conversion and the low temperature oxidation of carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbons. ORCA aims at developing a new catalyst generation coupling these two functionalities in order to replace both the Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) and the NOx storage catalyst (NSC), currently used in series. New advanced ORCA catalysts will have to present a higher oxidation capability (below 120°C after aging) than conventional DOC technologies, a better NOx-storage performance (below 200°C) compared to present NSC systems, a sustainable utilization of REO (without any neodymium and a maximum 10wt% of praseodymium oxide), and a reduced PGM amount by about 40% in comparison with state-of-the-art catalysts. ORCA is based on preliminary results, which show significantly improved low temperature oxidation activity of ceria containing Platinum catalysts after lean/rich conditioning, compared to conventional DOC materials. Since ceria is a NOx adsorber material, this catalyst represents an attractive starting point for a rational optimization of the formulation of ORCA catalysts to achieve the technological objectives. Two issues will be addressed in parallel by the consortium: the understanding of the PGM/REO interactions and the identification of key functionalities of REO, both in real operating conditions. IRCELYON, KIT and the University of Darmstadt, three leading research laboratories in the field of exhaust gas catalysis, will explore these two issues by implementing advanced operando time-resolved characterizations techniques (X-ray absorption spectroscopy, aberration-corrected environmental transmission electron microscopy,..), deep characterizations of structure-catalytic activity relationships and detailed surface kinetic modeling. RHODIA, a major manufacturer of NOx storage active REO based materials and Umicore, a major producer of PGM for exhaust catalysts, will deliver their expertise in the ORCA catalysts preparation and formulation (textured materials, dopant, PGM impregnation,…), in full size catalyst synthesis and in application testing (latest legislative test cycles and realistic driving). ORCA is intended to strengthen the technological leadership and competitiveness of RHODIA and Umicore as major players in materials and chemical industry worldwide. It will also create a new platform for scientific exchange and innovation between French and German Universities. The development of ORCA catalysts could reduce the dependence of European industry in PGM and REO supply and promote the development of clean and competitive Diesel passenger vehicles.

The increased penetration of variable renewable energy (VRE) in the future will require backup technologies due to intermittency, and long-term energy storage in the form of a chemical vector (such as green ammonia) is increasingly favoured. FASTER will develop and demonstrate the techno-economic feasibility and reliability of a non-noble catalyst based on metal nitrides/ hydrides/amides active at low temperature (< 250 C) and pressure (<50 bar) in combination with a new reactor concept using structured catalysts and temperature swing absorption unit for synthesis and separation at TRL4. The use of highly thermally conductive reactor and absorption scaffolds will increase heat transfer, allowing fast transitions during operation at fluctuating loads (0-100 %). FASTER is a consortium of 5 companies and 3 research universities. The consortium aims to develop (1) novel catalysts highly active at low temperature and pressure for ammonia synthesis, (2) improved heat and mass transport reactor concepts using structured reactors and absorbers, (3) develop and validate a demonstration installation for the FASTER technology, and (4) generating accurate and reliable techno-economic models to identify suitable locations to deploy the concept across Europe and beyond. The innovation tasks will be supported by a dissemination, communication and exploitation strategy focusing on an effective market roll-out by the industrial project partners in the European Union. For this purpose, FASTER gathers a selected group of private and public organizations as Advisory Board Members (ENEL, STEDIN, UPL Mumbay, Fertiberia, Abengoa, TNO, Ammonia Energy Association, Smart Port Systems, and Port of Huelva) to ensure fast-tracking of technology take-up. Ultimately, FASTER will deliver an affordable and clean alternative for hydrogen storage and transport using ammonia as vector in the EU context.

While many hard-to-abate sectors would benefit from a wide availability of green ammonia in Europe, the development of ammonia cracking technologies remains a prerequisite to unlock the full potential of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier. ANDREAH’s main objective is to provide a quantum leap in the development of advanced ammonia decomposition technologies to produce ultra-pure hydrogen (>99.998%) by developing an innovative system based on a Catalytic Membrane Reactor (CMR) for the cracking of Ammonia. In this way, optimised heat management, improved conversion per pass and purification/recycling for more cost-efficient and resource-effective ammonia decomposition at lower temperatures (400-450ºC) compared to conventional systems resulting in a decrease of CAPEX and OPEX of the system, that will bring the decentralized cost of H2 from 5.51 euro/kg to 4.27 euro/kg, with a decrease of 22.5%. For this purpose environmentally friendy and with less CRMs (80-90% less compared to conventional packed bed systems) structured catalyts will be developed and scaled up and integrated with advanced H2 selective Carbon Molecular Sieve Membranes and coupled with a sorbent-based hydrogen polishing step for fuel cell grade. Moreover, the complete system will be validated at TRL5 at the facilities of VTTI in the port of Rotterdam. Finally, a complete LCA, LCC and HSA will be performed over the entire value chain of ANDREAH. Appart from the different exploitable results of the project, the ambition of ANDREAH is to create a spin-off company that can exploit the advanced ammonia cracking system. KIC InnoEnergy supported more than 480 cleantech start-ups in the last decades and will provide support and advice to launch and boost the new spin-off.