Partners

Aarhus University

ORACLE exploitation will be in line with AU Sustainable Energy Technology Program at Aarhus University Faculty of Technical Science that is currently addressing several grand challenges:

• Future computing and communication-here the goals is 100×energy efficiency increase for same performance, or 100× more performance for same energy: this is the challenge we address for the 2025 technology.
• Energy Storage – Replacement of fossil fuels with renewable photovoltaics (PV), wind and biogas created a need for low-cost energy storage solutions.
• Wind Energy – at ever increasing number of installed wind turbines created a new grand challenge-how to dispose wind turbines. Here the challenge is addressed by inventing the recyclable materials for wind turbines.

AU’s specific exploitation interest lies in the potential (or even the commercialization) of the operating electrochemical cells. AU expects ORACLE to provide a springboard for supporting electrochemical cell adoption on the market.

With respect to energy storage ORACLE’s materials will add to the growing portfolio of the AU novel materials for electro fuels and large-scale redox flow batteries.

DIFFER

ORACLE is closely linked to the DIFFER Solar Fuels programme and to the national and international programmes on carbon capture, fuel and chemical synthesis and energy storage. At a European level DIFFER participates in the European Energy Research Alliances (EERA) for artificial photosynthesis, material research, physical and chemical conversion processes and energy storage, along with the development of novel diagnostics techniques. The European Strategic Energy Technology (SET-) Plan recognises the importance of basic research in meeting the energy transition targets. DIFFER leads the EU funded KEROGREEN project for the synthesis of green kerosene, which leads the way to exploitation in collaboration with SMEs that are partners in the consortium DIFFER exploitable results from the ORACLE project will include NO and NH₃ synthesis by a 13 MHz 300W plasma-membrane integrated facility, currently operational at DIFFER. These will be complemented in near future
by an upgrade facility employing a 6 kW 915MHz microwave source. These plasma reactors are operational in CO₂ conversion and Nitrogen fixation. These reactors will be the workhorse for generating exploitable results.

Jozef Stefan Institute

The main exploitation results of JSI’s activities within the ORACLE project will be derived from novel catalyst formulations including the acquired knowledge of their preparation and performance in the magnetically heated synthesis/decomposition of ammonia. These catalysts are complex materials, i.e. hierarchical multi-components
nanocomposites, and during their development, JSI will expand its knowledge in metal nanoparticles synthesis, oxides synthesis, colloidal processing of novel oxides and the interaction of metallic nanoparticles with oxide and carbon materials, as well as additive manufacturing technology using non-standard formulations. The generated knowledge will form the basis for new research paths within the field of catalysis, as well as in the field of functional materials processing. The knowledge generated within the ORACLE will be published in highly ranked journals and will be translated into the subsequent development of technology focussing on the electrification of other important catalysed chemical conversions, such as biomass-to-fuels (Fischer Tropsch synthesis of liquid fuels from waste biomass); CO₂ conversions to methane or methanol; storage of hydrogen in liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC); and biomass-based platform chemicals to value-added chemicals, such as fuels, monomers, solvents and precursors for pharmaceutical industry. All of these will be pivotal in achieving the EU’s future carbon neutrality, while reducing the EU’s dependency on fossil fuels and chemicals, and increasing the EU’s utilisation of renewables. These new research possibilities are strongly related to innovation efforts within the chemical industry and engineering. The SME partner organisations in the ORACLE project are important, highly innovative companies within the sector,
which will ensure the industrial relevance of the project’s results. The participation of JSI in such an interdisciplinary project with leading European industry and research organisations will expand JSI’s network and its potential for future industrial cooperation.

VITO

VITO will explore nuanced materials deposition strategies such as 2D and 3D printing for the commercial application of catalysts to enable rapid development and improvement of the technology. VITO will take a share of arising IP from developments made with material formulation and shaping. This includes catalyst optimisation by employing their conductive and magnetic properties and the subsequent shaping technology by printing and reactor design. VITO will provide relevant printing and deposition methods for active materials in complex formulations and on complex geometries. VITO will exploit the results by licensing their deposition technology for novel catalytic materials developed for other chemistry and energy applications. Functional ink formulations are already commercially available for different end use applications (in particular for ceramics, polymers and electronics), but are almost non-existent for catalysis and chemical applications. VITO will develop commercially available inks consisting of ‘ready-to-use’ and ‘on-demand’ printable catalyst formulations to bring versatile 3D printing technology closer to the consumer, with ‘pick and mix’ add-on options.

C2CAT

C2CAT are not only industry experts in catalyst manufacturing but also working of at the vanguard of chemical reactors design. Their role within the project will consist of the catalyst formulation and rapid deposition by supercritical (sc)CO₂ methods. C2CAT will replicate their catalyst design and atom-scale modelling expertise, gained
throughout ORACLE and use it to attract and secure future contract research and commercial projects. New ORACLE catalyst compositions will be added to their commercial portfolio. C2CAT will use and extend its existing on-demand manufacturing services to enable supply chain flexibility for materials suitable for various thermo- and electro-catalytic applications and industries. C2CAT will exploit the results by licensing the catalyst synthesis, deposition and manufacturing technology for the production of ammonia and other alternative fuels.

CASALE

CASALE will validate the ORACLE concepts by applying the developed technologies on a wider, cross-sector scale.

CASALE will employ its broad experience in product development and process scheme design to create industrially relevant, cost-efficient processes. This process design will be based, in part, on the extensive modelling and process data collected during the course of the project. The subsequent refinement of CASALE’s own knowledge base on process design and optimisation will be among the key benefits of participation within ORACLE. In addition, CASALE will provide exploitation and marketisation plans. More broadly, ORACLE’s innovative chemical reactors will impact the future implementation of turnkey and transportable, decentralised systems for ammonia production – in particular, the opportunity for commercialising the concept of plug-and-play reactors and integration into existing and new large and medium scale plants.

ORIST

ORIST (Osaka Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology) is the industrial Institute established in 2017 by both Osaka prefectural government and Osaka municipal government, merging Technology Research Institute of Osaka Prefecture (established in 1929) and Osaka Municipal Technical Research Institute (OMTRI, established in 1916). Main activities are research, consulting, testing and providing technological information to support SMEs. Our goal is contribution to economic growth and improvement of the lives of residents in Osaka by promoting the development of SMEs. Total number of staff: 239 (as of April 1, 2020)

AIST

The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), one of the largest public research organizations in Japan, focuses on the creation and practical realization of technologies useful to Japanese industry and society, and on “bridging” the gap between innovative technological seeds and commercialization.
For this, AIST is organized into 5 departments and 2 centers that bring together core technologies to exert its comprehensive strength.

AIST, as a core and pioneering existence of the national innovation system, has about 2300 researchers doing research and development at 11 research bases across the country, based on the national strategies formulated bearing in mind the changing environment regarding innovation.

AIST is also actively building a global network by, for example, signing memorandums of understanding for comprehensive research cooperation (MOUs) with major research institutes around the world.