Ammonia as synthetic fuel without CO2 emissions – EU project "HiPowAR" launched

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A direct conversion of ammonia into energy and the acceptance of this chemical compound as a synthetic fuel without CO2 emissions - these are the goals of the recently launched EU project "HiPowAR".

© Fraunhofer IKTS
MIEC (Mixed Ionic Electronic Conductor) membranes developed at Fraunhofer IKTS are used in the ammonia reactor.

As part of a European initiative that funds innovative new technologies for emission-free energy production, the project will receive approximately 4 million euros over a period of four years. In addition to Fraunhofer IKTS, project partners include the coordinating Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology, the hydrogen and fuel cell center ZBT, and companies and research institutions from Sweden, Italy and the Czech Republic.

The consortium has already worked together in the research project "CAMPFIRE", funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, which developed technologies for using ammonia as an energy source for emission-free shipping. In the "HiPowAR" project, the partners are now developing a membrane reactor for efficient energy production from ammonia. The technology combines partial processes of the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), the gas turbine and the classic steam power plant, but is intended to achieve higher efficiency than the best fuel cells at lower costs. Researchers at Fraunhofer IKTS are contributing to the basic concept, developing the necessary oxygen membranes and testing the pilot plant.