Project description
Converting surplus energy from renewables into storable synthetic natural gas
Widespread distribution of renewable energy systems such as wind and solar power is hindered because there is currently no efficient means of storing excess electric energy. One solution is to use surplus energy to produce synthetic natural gas (SNG) that can easily be stored, transported and converted back into electricity. At the same time, this reduces the need to import natural gas. The EU-funded ElectroGas project aims to finalise technical studies and optimise its prototype for a new electrolysis-based technology that efficiently converts electricity from wind and solar power into storable SNG. Ultimately, it will allow for increased penetration of renewable energy systems and domestic production of SNG.
Objective
Electric grid storage continues to pose a major technical and economic pain. While the last decade has seen disruptive improvements in battery technology, even with current leading-edge solutions, large-scale applications of batteries are not economically feasible in many scenarios.
This incapacity to consume large amounts of excess electricity has been one of the biggest obstacles to high penetration of renewable energy systems, such as wind power.
Our CEO, José Campos Rodrigues, Electrical and Nuclear Engineer, has invented, patented and demonstrated a new technology for efficient electrochemical production of synthetic natural gas (SNG). This is considered a great energy storage due to rising prices for natural gas and the dependency from imports, and as energy carrier offers the advantages to be easily stored, transported and back-converted into energy.
The European Patented Electrogas is a system that can be scaled from 1kW up to 1MW of power and will generate SNG using available non-dispatchable electricity.
Conventional techniques to produce SNG require high temperatures and pressures. The capacity of Electrogas to produce synthetic gas at low temperature and pressure is revolutionary for its technical and economic feasibility.
Our consolidated market segments will exceed 5 billion € in 2020 (2 digits annual growth rate), including Synthetic Fuels, the Electricity storage market, grid management systems, Islands and other isolated systems and micro-grids.
Our current team of 4 members, including our Head of Sales, José Galvão Lucas, with 30 years’ experience in the liquid fuels market in Portugal and Spain, raised 500.000€ for the proof-of-concept of Electrogas (currently on our 3rd prototype, with 1kW, at TRL 6), of which 350.000€ were a research grant from the Portuguese government.
Electrogas solves two of Europe’s problems: it enables higher penetration of renewable energy and locally produces SNG, increasing energy security and reducing imports.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels liquid fuels
- natural sciences chemical sciences electrochemistry electric batteries
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels fossil energy natural gas
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels synthetic fuels
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels renewable energy wind energy
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
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H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
2500 064 Caldas Da Rainha
Portugal
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.