The overall objective of this project is to support the African partners in establishing long-term collaborations within the framework of contract research. The project is in the context of accelerating the development of improved catalyst layers for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) water electrolyzers.
The work objective of this project is to increase the technology maturity level (TRL) of membrane electrode units (MEE) from 3 to 5. The scientific objectives of this project are to develop, fabricate, and characterize three generations of laboratory-scale MEE prototypes for PEM water electrolysis. The research partners will therefore have the opportunity to further establish themselves in their field.
The project also aims to establish a close partnership between the project partners to further develop, optimize and scale up the MEEs together even after the end of the project. Long-term collaboration of the consortium beyond the present project is planned through ongoing contract research opportunities or research projects where the partners' goals are aligned. In addition, this project also offers the opportunity to expand the small research network to other companies and research institutions in Germany / European Union and in South Africa / African Union.