As the global urgency to achieve net-zero carbon emissions intensifies, green hydrogen has emerged as a cornerstone of the future energy landscape.
However, transitioning from fossil fuels to clean hydrogen requires a massive leap forward in technology, one that can handle the unpredictable, fluctuating nature of renewable energy while keeping costs commercially viable.
Traditional alkaline water electrolysis is a mature technology, but it faces significant hurdles when integrated with intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar. Constant power fluctuations accelerate component wear, reduce efficiency, and drive up both Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operational Expenditure (OPEX). AELIOS was launched to break through these barriers.
AELIOS targets a major leap in performance, aiming to achieve a milestone stack performance of 1A/cm2 at an exceptional system-level efficiency of 48kWh/kg. To reach this, the project focuses on three breakthrough innovation pillars:
True sustainability extends beyond emission-free operation. Uniquely, the AELIOS project incorporates a strict focus on the circularity, sustainability, and recyclability of all its innovative materials from day one.
Over its 36-month duration, the consortium will integrate the most successful components into a final, high-pressure AELIOS stack prototype. This cutting-edge system will undergo rigorous validation under real-world, variable-load conditions for a targeted 3,000 hours.
By merging industrial scalability with scientific precision, AELIOS is not just optimizing technology, it is unlocking a vital, cost-effective path to meet the global net-zero CO2 targets and secure a cleaner energy future.
Traditional alkaline water electrolysis is a mature technology, but it faces significant hurdles when integrated with intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar. Constant power fluctuations accelerate component wear, reduce efficiency, and drive up both Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operational Expenditure (OPEX). AELIOS was launched to break through these barriers.
AELIOS targets a major leap in performance, aiming to achieve a milestone stack performance of 1A/cm2 at an exceptional system-level efficiency of 48kWh/kg. To reach this, the project focuses on three breakthrough innovation pillars:
True sustainability extends beyond emission-free operation. Uniquely, the AELIOS project incorporates a strict focus on the circularity, sustainability, and recyclability of all its innovative materials from day one.
Over its 36-month duration, the consortium will integrate the most successful components into a final, high-pressure AELIOS stack prototype. This cutting-edge system will undergo rigorous validation under real-world, variable-load conditions for a targeted 3,000 hours.
By merging industrial scalability with scientific precision, AELIOS is not just optimizing technology, it is unlocking a vital, cost-effective path to meet the global net-zero CO2 targets and secure a cleaner energy future.
The main objective of the AELIOS project is to design and validate a robust, sustainable, and highly efficient Alkaline Electrolyser that operates flexibly with renewable energy sources while significantly lowering both Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operational Expenditure (OPEX).
Developing highly efficient 3-D structured electrodeposited Ni-based electrodes and compact, well-adherent Bipolar Plates (BPPs) coatings to withstand harsh operational conditions.
Enabling an overall stack performance of 1A/cm2 at a system-level efficiency of 48 kWh/kg.
Prolonging the lifespan of electrodes, BPPs, and BoPs to reduce overall component degradation to below 0.10% per 2000 hours.
Implementing smart operational strategies and lifetime modelling tools to safely manage the variable, fluctuating loads of renewable energy.
Investigating the sustainability and recyclability of all new materials, culminating in a final high-pressure stack prototype tested for 2000 hours under relevant steady-state and variable conditions.
AELIOS expects to transform alkaline electrolysis from a rigid, baseline industrial process into a dynamic, cost-effective, and fully circular solution that anchors the renewable energy grid.
TECNALIA is the largest centre of applied research and technological development in Spain, a benchmark in Europe and a member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance. In Europe, TECNALIA has consolidated its position as the first private organisation in Spain in project contracting, participation and leadership under the European Commission’s HORIZON EUROPE programme, in partnership with over 100 Spanish companies. TECNALIA has a multidisciplinary team and a network of strategic alliances at an international level to anticipate current and future needs. TECNALIA collaborate with companies and institutions to improve their competitiveness, people’s quality of life and achieve sustainable growth. TECNALIA main scopes of action are: smart manufacturing, digital transformation, energy transition, sustainable mobility, health and food, urban ecosystem and circular economy.
Project coordinator. Develop and test at cell level innovative electrodes. Lead the experimental durability testing campaign of the first iteration stack and BoP components and of the final AELIOS prototype stack utilizing the test bench in TECNALIA facilities. Investigation of optimized operation strategies for electrolyser by using pulses, the impact of using different sort of ripples and collaborate in the development of a lifetime model based on durability testing.
Stargate Hydrogen is developing and manufacturing next-generation alkaline electrolyser electrodes, stacks, and systems. Its core technology combines proven alkaline methods with breakthrough materials, resulting in highly efficient ceramics-based electrolysers that reduce both CAPEX and OPEX.
Stargate operates across two business segments, providing alkaline electrolysis stacks for system integrators and turnkey alkaline electrolyser systems for end-users in the critical industrial sectors such as steelworks, cement plants, chemical plants and biofuel refineries, as well as large renewable electricity production plants.
Being a relatively young company in the emerging hydrogen technology industry, Stargate has already scaled its operations, grown its personnel to over 65 employees, secured more than €53 million in funding, and achieved seven innovations patented, with several more pending. The Company has product development and manufacturing facilities for electrolyser stacks and systems located in Tallinn, Estonia with current production capacity of 50 MW. Additionally, Stargate has established its R&D Centre for advancing research & technology development activities.
Development ans manufacturing of alkaline electrolysis stacks
Research on diaphragm cleaning and system optimisation
Nano4Energy (N4E) is a Spanish technology company founded in 2012, specializing in the development and scale-up of advanced thin-film coating solutions. The company combines strong R&D capabilities with pilot-scale and automated coating production facilities, enabling it to support the full innovation chain from material design and process optimization to industrial validation.
N4E’s core expertise lies in functional coatings for hydrogen technologies, particularly conductive and corrosion-resistant coatings for bipolar plates and other key electrolyzer and fuel-cell components. Building on its know-how in magnetron sputtering technologies, especially HiPIMS, N4E develops dense, high-performance and scalable coatings designed to enhance durability, efficiency and reliability under demanding operating conditions. The company also applies its expertise to high-end coatings for 3C applications, as well as hard coatings and optical coatings, offering tailored surface solutions for advanced industrial and technological markets.
Development of advanced Ni-based PVD (HiPIMS) coatings for bipolar plates to improve corrosion resistance, adhesion and durability, while enabling scalable manufacturing of the electrolyzers.
ELHCO has the experience and technical knowledge to perform galvanic coatings and a wide variety of metallic surface finishes with the highest quality standards. Coatings used at ELHCO: electroless nickel, electroless nickel-teflon, zinc-nickel, electrolytic nickel, gold, silver, tin-plated, anodising and chemical conversion of aluminium, passivation of stainless steels and paint.
Plating of electrodes and BoP components. Ni coating stripping of spent components and replating.
RINA-C is an Italian engineering consultancy company with longstanding expertise in large EU collaborative research projects in many fields including sustainability, energy efficiency, materials development and industry 4.0. RINA-C performs sustainability assessments, recyclability, circularity studies as well as business supporting activities including market analysis, business modelling, business planning and outline of roadmaps to the market. Further RINA-C can lead core lant engineering activities at pilot and industrial scales, including conceptaul design, HSE assessment, permitting etc.
In the first phase of the project, RINA-C will perform a preliminary environmental and economic impact ssessment of AELIOS materials and components, to provide guidelines for decision-making about the products to be scaled-up during the second phase. In a more advanced stage of the implementation, RINA-C will perform environmental and Techno-economic assesment of the final integrated AELIOS solution.
F6S is a leading global founder and startup network that helps public sector entities around the world to promote, communicate and disseminate technical and research projects. F6S stands for F-ounder-S. Our mission is to help founders and startups grow to solve the world’s pressing social, economic, environmental, sustainability and innovation problems. In addition to F6S’ work with governmental entities, we also work with corporates, investors, research institutions, programs, universities and others in the global startup ecosystem. F6S tools deliver company growth through grants, partnerships, funding, investment, pilot contracts, partnerships, jobs & talent recruitment, company services and more.
F6S is the Work Package leader for communication, dissemination and exploitation activities
Matgenix is an innovative Belgian engineering company (SME) active in the materials science sector. Our goal is to revolutionize the industry by enhancing efficiency in the design, development, and optimization of materials, compounds, and processes. Our approach combines artificial intelligence (machine learning, generative AI), data management and exploitation, and physics-based simulations of materials and compounds to reach optimized solutions.
Deployment of the data management platform and development of a hybrid lifetime model for the electrolyzer.