Success Stories
Setting the Standard for Green Hydrogen
The Journey of NICKEFFECT’s CEN Workshop Agreement
The NICKEFFECT project has successfully bridged the gap between laboratory research and industrial application with the publication of CWA 18302:2026, a landmark CEN Workshop Agreement developed in collaboration with CEN-CENELEC. This document establishes the first harmonized European protocol for the electrochemical characterization of non-noble, porous metal-based electrodes for hydrogen generation in acidic media. By standardizing testing cells, activity parameters, and data reporting, this success story – led by CIDETEC, the Spanish Association for Standardization (UNE), and project coordinator Aliona Nicolenco – provides the scientific community with a critical tool to accelerate the development of cost-effective, PGM-free water electrolysis technologies, ensuring that early-stage material innovations can be reliably benchmarked and scaled for a net-zero future.
Use-Case 3: Green Memory
How Nickel Could Unlock the Future of Sustainable AI
The AI revolution is here, but it comes with a hidden cost: a massive surge in energy consumption. As our world becomes increasingly data-driven, the semiconductor industry is under immense pressure to find “green” storage solutions.
Enter MRAM (Magnetoresistive Random-Access Memory). Unlike traditional memory (DRAM) that forgets data the moment power is cut, MRAM is “non-volatile” – it holds onto information without needing a constant stream of electricity. However, today’s MRAM faces a sustainability hurdle. It relies heavily on Platinum (Pt), one of the rarest and most carbon-intensive metals on Earth. With 85% of the world’s Platinum coming from just two countries (South Africa and Russia), Europe’s tech independence is at risk.
Use-Case 1: Cracking the Code of Clean Hydrogen
How a common metal like Nickel could replace Platinum in electrolysers and accelerate the EU’s green transition
Imagine trying to replace the world’s best performer with a budget alternative—and not just match it, but get close enough to change the game. That’s the challenge facing scientists working to reduce the use of platinum in hydrogen production. And it’s the bold mission of the Horizon Europe project NICKEFFECT.
Hydrogen is a key pillar of the European Union’s plan to decarbonise its economy and reach climate neutrality by 2050. Produced through water electrolysis, hydrogen offers a clean energy carrier—especially when powered by renewables. The EU has set an ambitious target: installing 40 GW of electrolyser capacity by 2030, which would produce millions of tonnes of green hydrogen annually.
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.