Improved components and tools to increase the safety of electrolysers

The opportunity, identified as HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-01-03, is a grant call under the Horizon Europe program focusing on enhancing the safety and reliability of low-temperature water electrolysers for hydrogen production. It is open to a broad spectrum of applicants, including research organizations, academia, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), large businesses, and component manufacturers. A mandatory requirement is the formation of a consortium comprising at least three independent legal entities from different countries, including one from an EU Member State. The consortium should reflect a multidisciplinary approach, encouraging participation from various sectors within the electrolyser value chain.

The funding mechanism is a lump sum grant, with a maximum contribution of €3 million per project. The application process will be single-stage, commencing on February 10, 2026, and closing on April 15, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. Projects must begin at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 and aim to achieve TRL 5 by completion, focusing on both technological feasibility and validation.

The program specifically targets clean hydrogen and energy sectors, particularly electrolyser technology development. This includes an emphasis on safety engineering, advanced materials, digital technologies, and compliance with hydrogen safety standards. The goal is to mitigate critical safety risks in hydrogen production related to potential failure modes, ensuring the commercial viability of electrolysers.

Applicants are expected to deliver advanced solutions that significantly reduce gas crossover incidents, enhance monitoring systems, and promote predictive maintenance through advanced modeling. Key deliverables include new membrane and electrode designs that meet rigorous performance criteria, real-time monitoring tools, and contributions to EU-wide safety standards and testing protocols.

The project seeks to address the critical gaps in electrolyser safety while also aligning with broader climate neutrality goals for Europe. Therefore, it represents a strategic investment in hydrogen production technology, emphasizing the importance of international collaboration and multidisciplinary expertise.

Success in this opportunity will contribute to the Clean Hydrogen JU Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, advancing the EU's hydrogen strategy and integrating innovative technologies into the hydrogen value chain while adhering to sustainability objectives, including minimizing critical raw materials and the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

This is a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe program, specifically targeting the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (JU). The call, HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-01-03, aims to improve the safety of low-temperature water electrolysers, which are crucial for hydrogen production and Europe's climate neutrality goals. The action type is a Research and Innovation Action (RIA), and the Model Grant Agreement is a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. The planned opening date is February 10, 2026, and the deadline for submission is April 15, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. The estimated EU contribution is a maximum of EUR 3.00 million. Activities are expected to start at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 and achieve TRL 5 by the end of the project.

The main goal is to develop and validate improved components and integrated tools that enhance the safety, durability, and long-term operational reliability of low-temperature water electrolysers. The scope includes conventional and emerging electrolyser architectures, focusing on increasing system safety while maintaining or improving electrochemical performance and enabling scalable, regulation-ready designs. Proposals should address structural and mechanical aspects, including numerical modelling of degradation and failure mechanisms, and provide design recommendations for electrolyser components to enhance operational integrity and intrinsic safety.

Expected outcomes include:
Safe operation of large-scale low-temperature electrolyser systems through innovative system designs and control strategies.
Reduced gas crossover rates during dynamic operation mode, enhancing intrinsic system safety and operational reliability.
Deployment of advanced, real-time detection systems for early identification of membrane or electrode degradation.
Increased electrolyser lifetime through predictive maintenance enabled by validated degradation models and integrated monitoring tools.
Improved cell and stack designs for superior gas separation performance, minimizing or eliminating the use of PFAS membranes.
Incorporation of Quantitative Risk Analysis (QRA) models for key failure scenarios.
Support for EU-wide safety standards through pre-normative research and development of harmonised testing protocols.

The projects are expected to contribute to the Clean Hydrogen JU Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) objectives and KPIs, including:
Reducing electrolyser CAPEX and OPEX, especially by reducing the amount of Critical Raw Materials (CRM) used.
Zero use of PFAS in ion exchange membranes and ionomers.
Increasing the availability of electrolysers by reducing safety shutdowns.
Proof of technology with long tests (3,000 h) under different operative regimes.
Development of a business model for scale-up and industrialisation.
Contribution to at least one new or updated EU safety standard or testing protocol.

Specific KPIs for increased operation availability and safety of electrolysers include:
Gas crossover incidence rate reduction by ≥ 50% compared to the current state-of-the-art.
Less than 2 failures per 3,000 operating hours per stack.
Operational availability increased to >95% due to predictive safety controls and reduced leak frequencies.
Stack degradation <0.06% per 1,000 hours under nominal operation.
Specific current densities for AEL, PEMEL, and AEMEL technologies.
Prioritising materials that avoid PFAS and minimise the use of PGMs, in alignment with EU sustainability and Critical Raw Materials (CRM) strategies.
Reducing electricity consumption at nominal capacity to meet SRIA 2030 KPIs of 48 kWh/kg for each electrolyser technology.
Development of harmonised safety diagnostics and models integrated into a TRL 5 prototype.

The scope of the proposals should include:
Development and integration of innovative materials, cell, and stack and balance-of-plant configurations.
Intelligent monitoring/control tools to detect and reduce the risk of hazardous gas crossover.
Inherently safer solutions that prevent hydrogen leaks and build-up of critical concentrations.
Next-generation membrane materials with reduced gas crossover, hydrogen permeability, and improved mechanical integrity.
Novel electrode structures that enhance gas separation.
Architectures that reduce potential leak points and physically or operationally decoupled hydrogen and oxygen evolution.
Novel stack and balance-of-plant components integrating efficient H-O recombination catalysts.
Advanced optical and spectroscopic techniques for real-time, on-line monitoring of hydrogen purity.
Advanced experimental analysis of failed components to identify damage mechanisms and material degradation states.
Numerical tools coupling finite element modelling, degradation kinetics, and operational data to simulate, predict, and optimise component performance.
Complementary sensing technologies, such as electrochemical and thermal conductivity sensors.
AI/ML-based models for early anomaly detection, predictive maintenance, and optimised system response strategies.
Advancement of smart sensing and control solutions, including AI- or machine learning-based systems embedded within a digital twin framework.
Spectroscopy-based diagnostics for high-resolution insights into critical degradation processes.

Validation of proposed solutions should include testing at the component, cell, and stack level under relevant conditions, with clear metrics for safety, performance, durability, and regulatory compliance. The proposal should demonstrate the construction and validation of a stack with specific requirements for PEMEL, AEMEL, AEL, and other emerging low-temperature electrolysers. Stacks should be validated for performance and safety for a minimum of 1000 hours under diverse operating regimes, with results reported under harmonised EU protocols.

Applicants should clearly articulate the added value and innovation of their proposed approach relative to the state-of-the-art and demonstrate synergies with existing European initiatives and projects. A collaboration mechanism with JRC is foreseen for activities developing test protocols and procedures.

The call specifies several eligibility conditions, including proposal page limits, eligible countries, and additional conditions related to maximum contribution per topic and membership to Hydrogen Europe or Hydrogen Europe Research for certain topics. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

This funding opportunity aims to bolster the safety and reliability of hydrogen production through water electrolysis, a key technology for achieving Europe's climate goals. It seeks innovative solutions in materials, components, and control systems for low-temperature electrolysers, encouraging collaboration across the electrolyser value chain to ensure the safe and efficient deployment of hydrogen technologies. The emphasis is on developing solutions that not only improve performance but also align with EU safety standards and sustainability goals, including minimizing the use of critical raw materials and eliminating PFAS.

Eligible Applicant Types: The call is open to a wide range of actors across the electrolyser value chain. This includes component manufacturers (membranes, electrodes, sensors), electrolyser OEMs, digital technology providers (AI, modelling, control systems), testing laboratories, and certification or regulatory entities. The call text does not explicitly exclude any type of legal entity, therefore, startups, SMEs, large enterprises, universities, research institutes, nonprofits, and other relevant organizations are likely eligible, provided they meet the general eligibility criteria of Horizon Europe. Membership to Hydrogen Europe / Hydrogen Europe Research may be required for some topics.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Action (RIA). The eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum contribution.

Consortium Requirement: A multidisciplinary approach is required, indicating that a consortium of multiple applicants is necessary to address the full complexity of the safety challenge. The call text encourages the involvement of actors across the electrolyser value chain. Additionally, for some topics, one partner in the consortium must be a member of either Hydrogen Europe or Hydrogen Europe Research.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The target countries for subcontracting are all Member States of the European Union and all Associated Countries. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The program targets the hydrogen sector, specifically focusing on hydrogen production via low-temperature water electrolysis. It also targets related sectors such as energy, climate, cleantech, advanced materials, AI, and digital technologies for monitoring and control systems.

Mentioned Countries: The call explicitly mentions Member States of the European Union and Associated Countries as target countries for subcontracting. It also mentions non-EU/non-Associated Countries that may be eligible for funding under specific provisions.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is between Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 and TRL 5. Activities are expected to start at TRL 3 and achieve TRL 5 by the end of the project.

Funding Amount: The JU estimates that an EU contribution of maximum EUR 3.00 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately for the topic HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-01-03. Other topics in the call have different maximum contribution amounts.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is implied, especially for actions performed at high TRL level, including demonstration in real operational environment and with important involvement from industrial stakeholders and/or end users such as public authorities. Such actions are expected to leverage co-funding as commitment from stakeholders. It is of added value that such leverage is shown through the private investment in these specific topics.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, under the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (JU), aims to enhance the safety, durability, and reliability of low-temperature water electrolysers for hydrogen production. The call seeks proposals for Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) focused on developing and validating improved components, integrated tools, and control solutions. The goal is to mitigate risks associated with hydrogen and oxygen mixing, membrane degradation, and other hazardous failures in electrolyser systems. Projects should cover conventional and emerging low-temperature electrolysis technologies, incorporating innovative materials, intelligent monitoring, and AI-driven control systems. A multidisciplinary consortium is required, involving component manufacturers, electrolyser OEMs, digital technology providers, testing laboratories, and regulatory entities. Projects should start at TRL 3 and reach TRL 5 by project completion, with a maximum EU contribution of EUR 3.00 million for topic HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-01-03. The call emphasizes the importance of aligning with EU safety standards, minimizing the use of critical raw materials and PFAS, and contributing to the definition of safety-relevant KPIs. The funding will be provided as a lump sum, and subcontracting must be performed in EU Member States or Associated Countries.