Pro2Tech Research Cluster Energy

One of the main challenges that mankind faces in the 21^st century is the energy transition from fossil fuels and feedstocks to renewable sources. The Energy cluster of Pro2Tech focusses its efforts on research that will enable a carbon-neutral energy sector and chemical industry.

The major theme that the cluster Energy focusses on in is ‘closing the carbon cycle’. This theme entails the generation of energy from renewable sources as well as storing renewable energy in for instance fuels and converting these fuels back to energy. A circular economy will be key in moving toward a new energy system, therefore the transition from fossil feedstocks to renewable feedstocks is of interest to the cluster as well. All materials used should be recyclable and earth abundant. To support research efforts in the cluster, life cycle analyses will be key.

Major topics that the Energy cluster is interested in are:

• Energy generation from renewable sources such as solar, wind, geothermal and biomass.
• Energy storage: (bio-/electro-)catalysis for the production of renewable fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia, hydrocarbons and alcohols.
• Energy generation from renewable fuels: e.g. fuel cells, hydrogen combustion.
• Energy optimization of current processes and novel energy storage/generation processes.
• Life cycle analysis and techno-economic analysis of new energy systems.

The cluster focusses both on fundamental research on the lab scale as well as scaling-up prototype devices and studying their behavior under industrially relevant conditions, to come to economically viable solutions.