Next generation of reversible proton conducting ceramic cells and stacks for efficient energy applications at ≥1 kW scale

The EU grant opportunity, HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-04-01, focuses on developing next-generation reversible proton conducting ceramic cells and stacks for energy applications at a scale of 1 kW or greater. It is a part of the Horizon Europe initiative, specifically under the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, and aims to allocate a maximum financial support of €3 million through a grant-based system.

Eligible applicants include research organizations, industrial partners, universities, technology centers, SMEs, and large enterprises involved in hydrogen and energy technology. The call emphasizes the importance of forming consortia that include various stakeholders across the value chain, especially industrial partners responsible for manufacturing and quality control.

The funding is structured as lump sum contributions, with no requirement for co-funding, although it is encouraged. The objective is to achieve Technology Readiness Level 4 by the end of the project, with required outputs including material and cell level research, component development, and validated stack operation under realistic conditions.

The opportunity encourages proposals that address the development and validation of proton conducting ceramic (PCC) technology, aimed at improving performance and durability in applications such as electrolysis and fuel cells. The focus is on integrating innovation in materials, thermal management, sustainability, and evaluating economic viability.

Submissions are due by April 15, 2026, with the application process consisting of a single-stage submission. The call is open to entities located in EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries, and all subcontracted work must also occur within these regions.

Overall, this funding opportunity seeks to advance research and innovation in clean hydrogen technologies, fostering leadership and independence within the European hydrogen supply chain.

This is a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe program, specifically targeting the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (JU). The call, HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-04-01, focuses on "Next generation of reversible proton conducting ceramic cells and stacks for efficient energy applications at ≥1 kW scale." It seeks to fund Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant agreement. The planned opening date is February 10, 2026, and the deadline for submissions is April 15, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. The total budget allocated to this call is 105,000,000 EUR, and it employs a single-stage submission process.

The core objective is to develop efficient reversible proton conducting ceramics (PCC) technology. This technology aims to produce hydrogen and operate with hydrogenated fuels, reducing operational downtime and promoting sector coupling. PCCs selectively extract hydrogen from various gas streams via proton transport in a dense electrolyte at intermediate temperatures (450 to 750 °C). Applications include reversible steam electrolysis, hydrogen-fed fuel cells, ammonia-fed fuel cells, ammonia cracking to hydrogen, CO2 conversion to chemicals, and dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons.

Expected outcomes of funded projects include:

Development of reversible PCC technology to replace energy/emission-intensive thermal processes with electrochemical ones.
Integration of PCC systems with renewable energy sources (solar, wind) to validate dynamic performance and grid-balancing.
Reduction of capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX) through innovation in cell and stack design, manufacturing, durability, and operational strategies.
Evaluation of new business cases benefiting from reversible operation, multi-mode operation, and fuel flexibility.
Contribution to European leadership in reversible PCC technology with a European supply chain.
Projects must deliver a clear pathway for technology rollout and industrial uptake.

Key performance indicators (KPIs) for 2030, aligned with the Clean Hydrogen JU Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), include:

Cell current density: > 0.75 A/cm2 (at operating voltage and temperature)
Cell degradation rate: < 1% /1000 hr in each operational mode
Stack current density: > 0.5 A/cm2
Stack degradation rate: < 2.5% /1000 hr in each operational mode
Faradaic efficiency: ≥ 84% in electrolysis mode

The scope of the call includes:

Development of advanced protonic or co-ionic ceramic electrochemical cells and stacks for reversible applications.
Strategies for reducing and/or recycling critical and strategic raw materials at the cell/stack level.
All cell geometries (tubular, planar) and architectures.
Exclusion of hydrogen separation, hydrogen pumping, or related applications in reducing gas atmospheres.

Proposals should focus on:

Development and validation of novel proton ceramic or co-ionic electrochemical cells and stacks operating reversibly in electrolysis and fuel cell mode.
Integration of reversible technology in various use cases, considering different sectors, fuels, and renewable sources.
Demonstration of the benefits of reversibility and the impact of cell/stack design and operational strategies on performance and durability.
Going beyond the scope of previous European projects like eCOCO2, WINNER, PROTOSTACK, GAMER, HySPIRE, PEPPER, and ECOLEFINS.

Specific areas to address in proposals:

Innovations in design and manufacturing for improved performance, efficiency, and durability.
Sustainability aspects, such as reducing Critical and Strategic Raw Materials (CSRM) content or incorporating recycling strategies.
Cell and stack design advancements for dynamic conditions and optimized thermal management.
Validation of reversible operation with hydrogen and other hydrogen carriers.
Validation of cell and stack operation for 2,000 hours in representative testing conditions.
Production of stacks with multiple repeating units.
Demonstration of reversible operation at a minimum scale of 1 kW power class.
Elucidation of degradation mechanisms.
Techno-economic assessment of the reversible technology.
Evaluation of at least two use cases with environmental life cycle analysis (LCA).

Experimental activities should start at the material and cell level and progress to stack-level validation. Broad engagement of stakeholders is encouraged. Collaboration with the Joint Research Centre (JRC) is recommended for activities developing test protocols, adopting EU harmonized testing protocols. Activities are expected to achieve Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 by the project's end.

The JU estimates a maximum EU contribution of EUR 3.00 million per project.

General conditions for admissibility include adherence to proposal page limits and layouts as described in Annex A and E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form. The page limit for Innovation Actions is 70 pages.

Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Some non-EU/non-Associated Countries have specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Additional eligibility conditions include maximum contribution limits for certain topics and a membership requirement for at least one consortium partner to be a member of either Hydrogen Europe or Hydrogen Europe Research for specific topics.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are detailed in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is also in Annex F.

The STEP (Sovereignty) Seal may be awarded to proposals exceeding evaluation thresholds for Hydrogen Valleys topics.

Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021. Specific provisions in the model grant agreement include lump sum funding, potential for full capitalized costs for equipment purchases, and subcontracting restrictions to target countries (EU Member States and Associated Countries). An additional information obligation exists for topics including standardisation activities regarding Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).

Application form templates and evaluation form templates are available in the Submission System. Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreements (MGA), Clean Hydrogen JU Annual Work Programme 2026 (AWP 2026), Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), Lump Sums Guidance, and a FAQ document for the call.

This funding opportunity aims to propel the development and validation of reversible proton conducting ceramic (PCC) technology for efficient energy applications. It seeks to foster innovation in materials, cell and stack design, and manufacturing processes, while also promoting sustainability and integration with renewable energy sources. The ultimate goal is to establish European leadership in this field and contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future. The call encourages collaborative projects that go beyond existing research, address key challenges, and demonstrate the techno-economic feasibility and environmental benefits of reversible PCC technology in real-world use cases.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated but can be inferred to include a range of entities such as universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations involved in hydrogen technology research and development. The call encourages broad engagement of stakeholders across the value chain, suggesting that various types of organizations are welcome to participate.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Action (RIA) with funding provided as a lump sum.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to require a consortium, as it mentions the need for partners and encourages broad engagement of stakeholders across the value chain. There are partner search announcements and additional eligibility conditions related to membership in Hydrogen Europe or Hydrogen Europe Research for certain topics, implying that a consortium is generally expected.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The target countries for subcontracting are all Member States of the European Union and all Associated Countries, suggesting that applicants should be based in these regions. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also have specific provisions for funding their participants, as mentioned in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The program targets the hydrogen sector, specifically focusing on the development of advanced protonic or co-ionic ceramic electrochemical cells and stacks for reversible application to improve performance and durability. It also addresses strategies for reducing and/or recycling critical and strategic raw materials at cell/stack level.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions Member States of the European Union and Associated Countries as target countries for subcontracting. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that may have specific provisions for funding their participants.

Project Stage: The expected Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at the end of the project is 4. This suggests that the project should be at the stage of technology validation in a laboratory environment. The experimental activities are expected to start at the material and cell level and end at the stack level with validation under relevant operation conditions.

Funding Amount: The JU estimates that an EU contribution of maximum EUR 3.00 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by the single-stage submission process and the planned opening and deadline dates.

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

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned.

Co-funding Requirement: While not explicitly stated as a requirement for all topics, the call mentions that for some topics, actions performed at high TRL level are expected to leverage co-funding as commitment from stakeholders. For the Hydrogen Valleys topics a large amount of co-investment/co-funding of project participants/beneficiaries including national and regional programmes is expected.

Summary: This opportunity is a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe program, specifically targeting Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) related to the development of next-generation reversible proton conducting ceramic (PCC) technology for efficient energy applications. The goal is to develop and validate novel proton ceramic or co-ionic electrochemical cells and stacks that operate reversibly in electrolysis and fuel cell mode, with high efficiency and durability. Projects should aim to integrate the reversible technology into various use cases, demonstrate the benefits of reversibility, and assess the environmental and techno-economic impacts. The funding is provided as a lump sum, with a maximum EU contribution of EUR 3.00 million per project. Consortia are expected, and broad engagement of stakeholders across the value chain is encouraged. The call is open to entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries, with some additional eligibility conditions related to membership in Hydrogen Europe or Hydrogen Europe Research for certain topics. The projects are expected to reach TRL 4 by the end of the project.