The energy transition is not only a technological challenge for which new technologies are being developed. It is also a societal challenges as the way we produce, transport, store and use energy has to transform. With the RELEASE project the researchers aim to take the whole value chain into account spurring innovation at different levels at the same time enhancing performance whilst reducing costs of large-scale energy storage systems, based on electrochemical conversion of electricity into molecules for short and long term energy storage. The project focusses on three technologies: hydrogen production via water electrolysis, hydrocarbon production from CO2 electrolysis and redox flow batteries. With these technologies the project emphasizes that the energy transition is interwoven with the resource transition. Many of the newly developed technologies are too expensive to compete with current fossil based process. The project investigates how this can be altered by taking the future business case into account. It focuses on development of electrodes and membranes, reactor designs, process control and intermittency to integration with industrial processes, and social innovations such as feasible business models and fair governance arrangements.

Everybody feels the urgency of the energy transition. However, since a shift of an entire system is required nobody knows exactly how to do this. RELEASE takes a complete value chain into account, developing technologies, business models and societal implementation is parallel. The goal is to accelerate innovation.