EReTech proposes to develop and validate at TRL 6 a transformative electrically heated reactor, together with the tailored catalyst for steam methane reforming, using a 250 kW unit. Based on SYPOX technology the reactor hosts ceramic supported structured catalyst, electrically heated by internal direct contact resistive heating elements. This allows achieving an energy efficiency close to 95%, i.e., nearly twice the value typical for gas-fired heat boxes, and a reactor volume that is two orders-of-magnitude smaller. As designed, the 250 kW reactor integrated with all required peripherals in a reforming skid will be used to produce approximately 400 kg/day of 99.999% pure H2. This is equivalent to the size of a commercially relevant biogas reforming plant for the decentralized production of renewable H2. The targeted design will allow to increase the power via parallelization, while scale-up will be conceptually targeted for larger capacities (>20 MW electrical input). EReTech?s final goal is to offer solutions for the decentralized market and for the decarbonization of existing or new centralized reforming plants.

Our world is facing unprecedented environmental challenges. Keeping the global temperature rise below 1.5°C implies a mandatory drop in CO2 emissions. Against this backdrop, the EC has issued the European Green Deal: an ambitious plan towards a fully sustainable economy, including aviation. With one million species endangered, biodiversity restoration is another key issue. Once aviation has recovered from the COVID pandemic effects, global air traffic as a major enabler of connectivity and economic growth will resume and keep increasing. This emphasizes the challenge of reducing the environmental impact of the air transportation sector as a whole. OLGA partners (airports, airline, handler, industry, research, SMEs) unite a wealth of expertise to contribute to solving this complex challenge: efficient and carbon neutral airport and airline operations, sustainable logistics, smart energy & mobility, intermodality for passengers and freight, emission/air quality assessments, green construction and circular end-of-life solutions. Sustainable Aviation Fuels supply chains will be integrated in conventional jet fuel infrastructure. Complementary types of low-emission mobilities, electric ground support equipment, hydrogen infrastructure and reduced carbon airside operations will be demonstrated. OLGA will achieve significant quantified advances already within the first three years, ready for exploitation by partners. This will lead to proven CO2 reduction, air quality improvement and biodiversity preservation with involvement of the entire sector's value chain. Sustainable impacts will be realised on societal, environmental and economic levels at local, national and EU scale. OLGA will have a duration of 60 months, requesting a 25 MEuros grant. OLGA's airports are uniquely positioned to showcase the environmental innovations, while the airports of Zagreb and Cluj will prove scalability and EU-wide applicability.