Several of our colleagues participated at the Solid State Ionics SSI-24 Conference in London.
15-19th July 2024
Researchers from the ECS group, participated and presented their results at the 24th International Conference On Solid State Ionics, that was held in London on July 15-19th 2024.
ITQ (UPV-CSIC) and ITACA (UPV) develop materials to improve hydrogen production from water using microwave radiation
23/07/2024
Colleagues from the Energy Conversion and Storage group at ITQ, and the Institute of Information and Communication Technologies (ITACA) has developed the design of materials that improve the process of obtaining hydrogen from water using microwave radiation. The process allows obtaining hydrogen from renewable electrical energy and thus avoids CO2 emissions derived from hydrogen production.
The research focuses on significantly improving the production of green hydrogen through redox cycles, in which the material takes and releases oxygen from water, stably separating it from oxygen. The developed process allows green hydrogen to be obtained from renewable electrical energy due to the design and use of materials that have these redox properties and respond to microwave radiation.
Nota de prensa CSIC (español)
Scientific article link
The European Commission selects the project iCAREPLAST, coordinated by ITQ (UPV-CSIC), as one of the most outstanding research projects in the field of energy
07/07/2024
The iCAREPLAST project, coordinated by Prof. Jose Serra and Dr. Laura Almar has been included in the Cordis Results Pack “Decarbonization, energy efficiency and circularity for a climate-neutral and sustainable European Union” as one of the most relevant projects in the field of energy innovation. The project, financed with European funds, aims to improve the circularity of the plastics industry by developing processes that enable the recycling of previously unrecyclable plastic waste, which is what ends up in landfills. It thus contributes to the overall efficiency of this industry, both in terms of energy and raw materials.
iCAREPLAST article - EU research results
(6 languages: DE, EN, ES, FR, IT, PL)
CORDIS Results Pack: Decarbonisation, energy efficiency and circularity for a climate-neutral and sustainable EU
Colleagues from ECS group participate at the PPCC2024 International Workshop
18-21st June 2024
Elena Barrio and David Catalán, members at the ECS group, participated and presented their results at the 7th international workshop "Prospects On Protonic Ceramic Cells" PPCC2024 held in Dijon on June 18-21st 2024.
Professor Jose Serra visited the State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces (PCOSS) at Xiamen University on April 2024.
The State Key Lab of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces is a premier research institution in China. During his visit, Professor Serra engaged with leading researchers and students, sharing insights from his extensive research on solid-state chemistry and catalysis. The visit also included discussions on potential collaborative projects and exchange programs between Xiamen University and Professor Serra's home institution. Both parties expressed enthusiasm for future joint research initiatives aimed at addressing global challenges in energy and environmental sustainability.
Pint of Science 2024 festival
14th May, 2024
Pint of Science is an international science outreach festival, which is held simultaneously in different bars in Valencia during spring.
Elena Vicente, a colleague from ECS Group participated with a talk about: "Ammonia to change the course of humanity” on 14th May at CIM Benimaclet.
Thank you to all participants for sharing your knowledge with us also at the bar!
Dr Marwan Laqdiem’s thesis defence
9th May, 2024
We are pleased to announce that the thesis defence of our colleague Marwan Laqdiem took place yesterday in the ITQ Lecture Hall with an outstanding result.
The thesis entitled "Development of high temperature MIEC catalytic reactors for energy conversion and storage applications", has been co-directed by Prof. Jose Manuel Serra and Dr. Julio García-Fayos within the PhD programme in Sustainable Chemistry.
We are delighted with this new success. Congratulations Marwan!!
Blanca Delgado receives the award for the best Master's Thesis from the Genesal Energy Transition Chair at the University of Santiago de Compostela. 23rd April 2024.
Blanca Delgado Galicia, a student of the Sustainable Chemistry Master's program at ITQ (UPV-CSIC) during the academic year 2022-2023, has been awarded the prize for the best Master's Thesis by the Genesal Energy- Energy Transition Chair at the University of Santiago de Compostela. Blanca conducted her thesis at ITQ in the Energy Conversion and Storage group, under the supervision of Alfonso Carrillo and Andrés López, and mentored by Eduardo Palomares. The topic of her thesis was the functionalization of fuel cell electrodes using the nanoparticle exsolution method, a novel area of study that has garnered interest among the prize jury.
Congratulations Blanca!
https://itq.upv-csic.es/noticia/blanca-delgado-recibe-el-premio-al-mejor-trabajo-fin-de-master-por-la-catedra-de-transicion-energetica-genesal-energy-de-la-universidad-de-santiago-de-compostela
Colleagues from ECS group participate at the EHEC 2024 Conference.
6-8th March 2024
Álvaro Represa, a post-doc researcher at the ECS group, participated and presented his results at the European Hydrogen Energy Conference 2022, Europe's conference of reference in the field of hydrogen energy, that was held in Bilbao on March 6-8th 2024.
Activities for the Day of Women and Girls in Science
11th February, 2024
On February 11, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the ECS group organized science outreach activities at the School "La Calderona" in Gillet.
An initiative with the aim of promoting the visibility of the work of women who are dedicated to STEM areas (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), thus creating female references for children that can contribute to the choice of these areas as careers.
Elena Barrio, Sonia Escolástico, Imanol Quina and María Valls from the ECS group participated in chemistry activities for children.
The eCOCO2 project culminates in Brussels with the final review meeting in January 2024
The culmination of four years and six months of dedicated effort came to a successful conclusion in January 2024, when the eCOCO2 project final review meeting was held in Brussels for evaluation by the European Commission. Attended by all Work Package (WP) Leaders, the comprehensive review highlighted the significant progress made, the results achieved and the far-reaching impacts achieved throughout the duration of the project. Throughout the presentations, the focus was on assessing the final achievements of the project and underlining its importance in the field of CO2 conversion technologies.
In addition, the meeting served as a forum for constructive dialogue between the partners and the European Commission on the future development of eCOCO2 and post-project activities. Discussions extended to identifying further needs in this field, paving the way for possible future efforts to further develop CO2 conversion technologies.
In conclusion, this final meeting marked not only the end of a project but also a renewed commitment to a greener and more sustainable future.
Researchers from the Energy Conversion and Storage group in collaboration with ITACA (UPV) have demonstrated the possibility of obtaining exsolved Ni nanocatalyst via the application of microwave radiation. The results have been recently published in ACS Nano.
English:
https://www.upv.es/noticias-upv/noticia-14419-mas-sostenible-en.html
Spanish:
https://itq.upv-csic.es/noticia/un-equipo-de-la-upv-y-el-csic-descubre-un-nuevo-metodo-de-generacion-de-nanoparticulas-metalicas-para-su-uso-como-catalizadores
The Energy Conversion and Storage group leader Jose Serra, together with Laura Almar and Ana María García, eCOCO2 H2020 project coordinators, attended the "Public perception and business models joint event" that was held in CINEA Brussels.
14th November, 2023
"ITQ (UPV-CSIC) Joins Crucial Discussions at the "Public Perception and Business Models Joint Event" in Brussels on November 14, 2023"
On November 14th, 2023, the "Public perception and business models joint event" was held in Brussels, which was organized by four Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) & Alternative Fuels Horizon 2020/Horizon Europe CLUSTER projects, namely eCOCO2 (ITQ project), CLEANKER, CaLby2030 and HERCCULES. The event was attended by more than 20 CCUS projects and was supported by CINEA - European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency.
The aim of the event was to address the importance of public perception and business models in innovative technologies and to guide the decision-making of policymakers, both at the national and European Commission levels. The importance of addressing these aspects has been underlined by the increasing emphasis on many Horizon calls, which require a holistic approach to technology development within projects.
The workshop brought together more than 50 key stakeholders, including industry experts, project representatives, investors, and policymakers, from various technical projects. This provided an excellent networking opportunity for policymakers, building relationships with industry experts, project representatives, investors, and policymakers, thus facilitating collaboration, knowledge sharing, and future partnerships. With more than 20 Horizon projects selected, the workshop represented a unique opportunity to significantly impact both the activities of ongoing projects and the design of new projects at a higher TRL level (close to commercial scale).
Spanish:
https://itq.upv-csic.es/noticia/el-itq-upv-csic-participa-en-el-public-perception-and-business-models-joint-event-14-de-noviembre-de-2023-en-bruselas
Jesús Ara, Andrés Lopez and María Valls, awarded with the "Best Oral and Poster Presentations" of the Autumn School 2023
26th October, 2023
Jesús Ara and Andrés López García, PhD students of the ECS Group,
were awarded with the "Best Oral presentation" by the Scientific Committee of the 2023 Autumn School, held in Instituto de Tecnología Química de València (Spain).
The awards were delivered for their respective contributions: "Fluid-dynamic analysis of propane dehydrogenation in a catalytic planar proton conducting reactor" and "Electrode functionalization via exsolution of ternary-alloyed metal nanoparticles for CO2 electrolysis". María Valls, PhD student of the ECS Group, was awarded with the "Best Poster presentation".
Congratulations!
Andrés Lopez has been awarded with the "Young Researcher Award 2023"
2nd June, 2023
Andrés López García, PhD student of the ECS Group, has been awarded with the "Young Researcher Award 2023" by the organization of the E-MRS Spring Meeting celebrated in Strasbourg, for his contribution to the Symposium "Solid state ionics: bulk, interfaces and integration in devices".
Congratulations!!
The Autumn School "Inorganic electrochemical reactors for sustainable chemicals, fuels and power production" will take place in Valencia on the 24-26th October 2023.
This event is sponsored by the European Projects eCOCO2, WINNER, PROTOSTACK, SUSTAINCELL and SINGLE. It aims to create an international exchange and learning forum for scholars interested in learning more about these technologies.
The program reflects the research and development work on the projects’ sustainable technologies and will be further extended to other applications where inorganic electrochemical reactors offer new technological pathways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve efficiency. The goal is to provide tutorial lectures to give insights into the design, fabrication, characterisation, testing and modelling of materials, components, cells and stacks. Furthermore, the Autumn School will address the up-scaling of the technologies with a strong emphasis on sustainability.
Abstract submission for poster and oral presentations for students is open until 31st July 2023.
More info and registration on the website:
https://itq.upv-csic.es/autumn-school-2023
Blanca awarded by the Master 2023 grants by SECAT
15th May 2023
Our colleague Blanca Delgado, student in the Sustainable Chemistry Masters program,
has been awarded with one of the Master 2023 grants by the Spanish Society of Catalysis (SECAT).
Congratulations Blanca!
https://www.secat.es/noticias/ayudas-master-2023/
The ALL-IN Zero project website has been already launched
12th May, 2023
The ALL-IN Zero team has launched a new website aimed at sharing information about the project’s objectives and progress. The website has been designed to make it easy for visitors to access all relevant information about the project, including details about the team responsible for the research and technological development.
Congratulations to the ALL-IN Zero team on the launch of their new website and their continued efforts to develop sustainable transportation solutions!
https://allinzero.eu/
https://allinzero.eu/2023/04/21/507/
Jose Serra, ECS Group leader, participates in the Lecture Series: La Ciencia en tu vida: del laboratorio a la sociedad-Casa de la Ciencia CSIC, Valencia
4th May 2023
This initiative seeks to bring society closer to some of the scientific advances carried out by CSIC research groups in the Valencian Community that have been transferred to all socioeconomic sectors, and thus show the contribution made by CSIC centers to solving problems present in our society.
You can watch Jose Serra’s complete lecture titled “Transferencia e Innovación en Tecnología Química” here: https://www.youtube.com/live/ArGOFZrXFZY?feature=share
You can check the complete program here: LINK
Participation of Jose Serra as panelist in the energy field in the presentation of HySun, a joint venture between Nanogap and Tewer Engineering | 27th April, 2023
HySun, a joint venture created by the Spanish Nanogap and Tewer Engineering, has developed a 100% renewable and clean hydrogen solution. Without the use of electricity, unique and disruptive, from the use of photo-thermo-catalytic materials combined with solar concentrators in a new hydrogen production reactor using only the energy of the sun and wáter, turns it into the cheapest renewable hydrogen on the market.
Jose Serra, group leader and director of the ITQ, along with other professors and researchers, participated in the round table entitled “The role of photo-thermo-catalysis in the production of renewable hydrogen” in the presentation event celebrated the past 27th of April in Madrid. The speakers explained the importance of photo-thermo-catalysis in the coming years to the renewable hydrogen production market.
You can read the complete news here (spanish):
https://forbes.es/ultima-hora/270950/la-empresa-espanola-hysun-invertira-15-millones-para-desarrollar-una-solucion-de-hidrogeno-renovable/
https://www.worldenergytrade.com/energias-alternativas/gas/hysun-solucion-hidrogeno-renovable-mercado-18517
https://www.energetica21.com/noticia/hysun-desarrolla-la-solucion-de-hidrogeno-renovable-mas-barata
eCOCO2 Plenary Meeting at CEMEX, Alicante
25th and 26th April, 2023
The different partners of the H2020 eCOCO2 project, coordinated by Jose,
met on April 25 and 26th in the plenary meeting of month 48.
It was held at the CEMEX plant in Alicante.
Many thanks for your work and fruitful participation!
https://ecocoo.eu/
EL PAIS digital newspaper interviewed Jose Serra about decarbonization solutions for industry | 5th April, 2023
Jose Serra, ECS group leader, explains the role of Kerionics. The spin-off was born to bring the research to the market for the sake of getting cheap green hydrogen.
You can read the complete news here (spanish): https://elpais.com/economia/negocios/2023-04-05/kerionics-investiga-como-conseguir-hidrogeno-verde-barato.html
iCAREPLAST H2020 Project Final Plenary Meeting in Valencia
4th-5th April, 2023
The iCAREPLAST consortium, coordinated by Jose, met at the Final Plenary Meeting held the past 4th and 5th April at "CSIC - Casa de la Ciencia" in Valencia.
Over the last 4,5 years we have worked together making a step forward in the energy-efficient recycling and development of plastic waste valorisation technologies.
Thank you so much for your attendance and your project commitment!
RTVE interview to ECS Group colleagues
24th March, 2023
Jose Serra and Sonia Escolástico from ECS Group, talked about the importance of the synthetic fuels in an interview made by RTVE.
(Spanish Interview): https://www.rtve.es/play/videos/telediario-2/td2_e-fuels_240323/6842452/
New Ramón y Cajal Fellow Researcher
22th March 2023
María Balaguer from our ECS group, has been granted
with the Ramón y Cajal 2022 (RYC2022) Grant.
Congratulations María!
WOMEN & SCIENCE 2023
2nd March 2023
Jose Serra, group leader, took part in the presentation of the Women and Science 2023 talk
held at the Casa de la Ciencia of CSIC Valencia, in which Mª Ángeles Durán Heras, CSIC Professor of Sociology and Research Professor ad honorem, talks about "The barriers to equality in science"
Streaming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2t8RW-At58
CSIC PTI TransEner+ 1st Scientific Conferences
1st and 2nd March, 2023
Jose Serra and Sonia Escolástico, from the ECS Group, participated in the 1st Scientific Conferences of the CSIC Interdisciplinary Thematic Platform (PTI) TransEner+ (Energy Transition
Sustainable) on the 1st and 2nd March in Madrid. In which the most recent milestones achieved to date, as well as the impact of the results and their transfer to the business fabric and to society were presented.
Program: https://pti-transener.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Programa-jornadas-PTI-TransEner-1-2-Marzo-2023.pdf
Press release (spanish): https://pti-transener.csic.es/finalizadas-las-primeras-jornadas-cientificas-de-la-pti-transener/
UPV DUO Podcast interview to Marwan Laqdiem from ECS Group
1st March, 2023
M. Laqdiem: “The DUO podcast is an initiative of the #UPV and is being run by two engineering students. This podcast (#podcastDUO) already has many interesting interviews about other engineering careers. Specifically, this interview is about my experience in chemical engineering and further studies in #sustainablechemistry.
Many thanks for inviting me to take part on this experience!”
https://youtu.be/PsGNyhvhIFM
IATA-CSIC Women’s Day talk
15th February, 2023
Elena Barrio (PhD student) attended the round-table event where researchers from ITQ-CSIC, IATA-CSIC, Biopolis SL and Universitat Jaume I (Castelló), talked about the path of women in science. They highlighted their female references, recountered their career to date and reviewed the great experiences they are having in the scientific career.
Day of Women and Girls in Science Talks
11th February, 2023
The 11th February was declared by the UN in 2015 as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a citizen initiative whose objective is to promote the organization of activities aiming:
• Make visible the work of women who are dedicated to STEM areas (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), thus creating female references for children who can contribute to the choice of these areas as professional careers.
• Know the different factors that affect the current situation of women in STEM areas to promote practices that lead to their elimination and achieve gender equality in the scientific field.
Laura Almar and Candela Segarra from ECS group participated with talks and activities carried out in various educational centers in the Valencian Community.
5th ITQ Winter Meeting Awards
20th January, 2023
Jesús Ara and Marwan Laqdiem from ECS Group, have been awarded for their respective works shown at the 5th ITQ WINTER MEETING, at the Awards Ceremony.
The "ITQ Winter Meeting", started in 2018, is a meeting born with the purpose of gathering a sample of the work carried out at the ITQ throughout the year.
Congratulations, Jesús and Marwan!
Jose Serra interviewed in the series "Entrevistas conCiencia"
16th December, 2022
Jose M.Serra, the new ITQ Director, has been interviewed by Casa de la Ciència-CSIC Valencia, that is conducting a series of interviews with research, technical and contracted staff from different calls who carry out their work in the CSIC centers in the Comunitat Valenciana.
You can watch the complete interview (spanish) here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ldotu_79Zg
We are very excited to announce that Prof. Jose M. Serra, Group Leader of the Energy Storage and Conversion Group is the new director of ITQ.
Congratulations, Jose!
28 October 2022
Link to the CSIC press release (spanish):
https://delegacion.comunitatvalenciana.csic.es/el-investigador-del-csic-jose-manuel-serra-alfaro-nuevo-director-del-instituto-de-tecnologia-quimica/
You can read the complete press release here (english):
LINK to the pdf
Jose Serra and Laura Almar from ECS Group attend the second Electrochemistry Day on the 21th October at the Marie Curie Auditorium of the University of Valencia Science Park, a scientific conference with renowned national and international speakers from academy and business addressing different disciplines related to electrochemistry and energy materials.
It will review and discuss the state of the art in areas such as:
- Electro- and photocatalysis for the production of green hydrogen.
- The development of novel batteries (organic, lithium, rechargeable alkaline or hybrid supercapacitors).
- Fundamental aspects of electrochemistry such as conducting polymers, artificial muscles, new electrochemical processes or forefront in-operando measurements.
You can check the list of invited speakers in the full program:
https://www.icmol.es/agenda/invitacion-ELECTROCHEMISTRY.php
If you are interested in attending, please register by clicking on this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc9wqKaeCSwCft7r9mkywsbCfJasCRxbEmbTBFbHjYvezGLaQ/viewform
From the 4-6th October 2022, the International Fair on Environmental Solutions and Ecologic Transition, ecoFIRA, will take place in Valencia.
On its 19th edition, the fair is the meeting point of companies and public organizations, showcasing the latest advances in an efficient enviromental management.
Prof. Serra (ITQ) will represent ECS group at the Eco Chemical Solutions symposium organized by Quimacova at the eco FIRA, with a talk on “Enabling technologies for the decarbonization of industrial processes”. The talk will be on October 6th, from 13:00 to 13:30.
Here is the link for more details:
https://apps.feriavalencia.com/catalog/ecochemical/activities/1185
On 5th October, UPV will host an INNOTRANFER event focus on Decarbonization, specifically on the Challenges and Opportunities of Green hydrogen.
Our Group Leader, Prof. Serra, will participate in the symposium with a talk on the “Electrification and decarbonization of the processes industry”.
More details and registration (free) in the following link:
https://innotransfer.org
In the frame of the EU project eCOCO2, ITQ has organized and hosted the workshop H2 and Proton Conducting Technologies, on the 4th October 2022
This event started with the welcome session by Prof. J. M. Serra, project coordinator. It was followed by two plenary talks by colleagues from Kyushu University in Japan, who also collaborate in eCOCO2. First, Prof, Matsumoto with an overview of SOFC and SOEC with proton-conducting oxides, followed by Prof. Leonard with a talk on the development of highly efficient proton ceramic electrolyzers. The workshop finished with two keynote talks by Prof. Catalá, from ITACA (UPV), with a presentation on “Microwave-driven direct production of H2 and chemical energy-carriers”, and last Dr. Escolástico, with a talk on “Direct electrocatalytic CO2 reduction in a tubular protonic membrane reactor”.
AGENDA
LINK TO JOIN ONLINE
Interview to Antonio Chica: “Hydrogen as a means to meet energy needs”
15th July 2022
Antonio Chica talks about the use of hydrogen in an interview offered by Universidad Complutense de Madrid, UCM.
You can read the news if you click this LINK (SPANISH): https://cursosveranoucm.com/noticias/el-hidrogeno-como-medio-para-satisfacer-las-necesidades-energeticas/
Translation to ENGLISH
Interview to Jose Serra: “We have it all: technology and renewable resources. It is an opportunity for Spain and this time we only need to do it, get on the train of the third industrial revolution”
30th June 2022
The Group Leader Jose M. Serra Alfaro talks about the use of hydrogen in rail transport in an interview offered by EL PAIS.
You can read the news if you click this LINK (SPANISH):
https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-06-03/el-tren-del-hidrogeno-a-toda-maquina.html
Translation to ENGLISH
Jose Serra engages in the Renewable Hydrogen Generation panel of experts at the OPEN ROOM event: “GENERACIÓN DE HIDRÓGENO RENOVABLE: POSIBILIDADES DE PRODUCCIÓN Y PERSPECTIVAS” led by FUNDACIÓN REPSOL and the University of Mondragón next Thursday 16th of June at 10:00 am
Fundación Repsol and the University of Mondragón invites you to the event “Generation of renewable hydrogen: Production possibilities and perspectives” focused on the topic of renewable hydrogen generation from a broad perspective and a multi-technological approach, which will cover the different technologies that will be available in the market, as well as the construction of the value chain and the uses of hydrogen.
Follow the online event here
Jose Serra, ECS Group leader, attends the round-table event: “CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO EN LAS EMPRESAS” led by the digital newspaper EL ESPAÑOL in collaboration with ACCIONA next Wednesday 15th of June at 10:00 am
The end of fossil fuels, the leadership of renewables, geopolitical polarization. These and other key aspects are changing society, governments and, of course, also companies, at a very rapid pace, which have to change their strategies to deal with this acceleration and determining aspects such as inflation, chains of supply – less globalized? -, or social justice. In the midst of this scenario, the fight against climate change is making its way.
What will that transition process be like? Which sectors will be more prepared? What role will large companies play?
EL ESPAÑOL, in collaboration with ACCIONA, wants to show those voices that can help us better understand climate change and how to act in the transition.
Jose Serra will dialogue about how industrial decarbonization can be a determining factor in the role that companies play in the fight against climate change.
Follow the event live through the link https://eventos.elespanol.com/evento/cambio-climatico-en-las-empresas/
Students from ECS group participate at the EHEC 2022 Conference
26/05/2022
Our colleagues Imanol Quina and Aitor Domínguez, PhD students from our team, participated at the European Hydrogen Energy Conference 2022, Europe's conference of reference in the field of hydrogen energy, that was held in Madrid on May 18-20th.
Congratulations for your work and contributions!
https://www.ehec.info/
Colleagues from ECS Group participated at Pint of Science 2022 festival
23/05/2022
Our colleagues Aitor, Fidel, Laura N., Alfonso and Marwan participated at Pint of Science 2022 in Valencia and co-organised by the ITQ. The international Science Festival invites the most cutting-edge researchers to share their knowledge with you in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
Thank you to all participants for sharing your knowledge with us also at the bar!!
https://pintofscience.es/event/el-futuro-sera-verde-o-no-sera-futuro
https://pintofscience.es/quienes
https://delegacion.comunitatvalenciana.csic.es/pint-of-science-vuelve-a-llenar-los-bares-de-ciencia
Researchers from our team participate in the development of a new hydrogen production system published in 'Science'.
22/04/2022
The international team, in which the ITQ Energy Conversion and Storage group forms part, developed a new electrified reactor to obtain hydrogen in a more sustainable and energy efficient way.
The team has successfully combined 36 individual ceramic membranes into a modular, scalable generator that produces hydrogen from electricity and various fuels with almost zero energy loss. It is for the first time demonstrated that it is possible to obtain hydrogen industrially with this technology.
Congratulations for the great job and achievement!
Read complete press release of the CSIC-Delegación Comunitat Valenciana
LINK TO THE SCIENCE PAPER
Interview to Jose Serra: "Most fuel and aviation companies are focusing on the use of CO₂"
15/02/2022
The Group Leader Jose M. Serra Alfaro talks about the role of e-fuels as one more alternative to decarbonize transport and how their production can be a boost for the development of the Spanish industry in an interview offered by Cinco Días.
You can read the news if you click this LINK (spanish)
11 February International Day of Women and Girls in Science: "Women and Science at School"
11/02/2022
On the occasion of 11 February, the ITQ has organised a series of talks in different primary, secondary and high schools, in which representatives from all levels of the world of research will talk to students about the role of women in science, as well as their own personal experience, with the aim of offering models with which girls and young women who wish to pursue a scientific career can identify.
This activity, which we have been carrying out at the ITQ since 2019, will be attended in this edition by 25 female scientists and 20 educational centres, some of them from our group.
https://igualdad.itq.webs.upv.es/actividades/
Elena Barrio Querol, Master's student, has been awarded with the 2021 ERCROS - Aragon Hydrogen Foundation Prize
09/02/2022
Elena Barrio Querol current Master student in our group has been awarded for her work "Design and optimization of electrodes for a co-ionic membrane reactor" supervised by Laura Almar, of the 2021 ERCROS Award - Aragón Hydrogen Foundation for the best Bachelor Thesis in the 2nd Announcement of the Aragón Hydrogen Foundation Awards. Congratulations!
https://hidrogenoaragon.org/en/we-present-the-winners-of-the-ii-edition-of-the-hydrogen-foundation-prizes/
Researcher position available at the Energy conversion and storage group in "Electrochemical membrane reactors (ECMR)"
03/01/2022
The Energy conversion and storage group (Group leader: José M. Serra Alfaro) is seeking for a Postdoctoral researcher to work in the area of Catalytic membrane reactors to strength the electrochemical testing capability and the performance and long-term stability attributes of the next generation of renewable fuels, chemicals and CO2 valorisation systems.
The group welcomes PhD or equivalent achievement with four years dedicated in the field of chemical engineering, material science, electrochemistry and related fields.
Applicants should send a motivation letter to
membranes@itq.upv.es
and a detailed CV.
-> LINK to more details (English)
PhD position available at the Instituto de Tecnología Química (ITQ, Valencia) in “Catalytic Hydrogenation of CO/CO2 to Value-Added Fuels and Chemicals”
03/01/2022
The selected candidate will be offered a
1-year pre-doctoral contract extendible
to 4 years.
The PhD thesis will be associated to the “Sustainable Chemistry” doctoral programme of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV):
http://www.upv.es/index-en.html
Interested candidates should send a CV and a motivation letter by email to Prof. Agustín Martínez (amart@itq.upv.es)
before January 31, 2022.
-> LINK to more details (English)
-> Enlace a oferta completa (Castellano)
The research centres of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in Comunitat Valenciana are celebrating the 21st edition of Science and Technology Week this November with various proposals for popularising science. This great event, which this year will once again include virtual activities but also face-to-face, has the support of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), which depends on the Ministry of Science and Innovation.
The Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ, CSIC - UPV) has edited a couple of videos, published yesterday on ITQ YouTube channel.
Our colleagues prepared the video entitled "Electrification of industry from electrochemical reactors", with the participation of the ITQ researchers David Catalán, Sonia Remiro and Sonia Escolástico.
Read more
Web: https://www.semanadelaciencia.csic.es/
CSIC launches PTI + TransEner an interdisciplinary thematic platform aimed at sustainable energy transition
25/10/2021
The network integrates research groups of different specialties such as chemistry, microelectronics and materials that will collaborate with the industrial sector. The platform is coordinated by Dr. Antonio Chica Lara (ITQ) and Dr. Clara Blanco Rodríguez (INCAR).
The group activities are divided in five thematic areas: 1) Renewable generation; 2) Efficient storage; 3) Industrial decarbonization; 4) Hydrogen technologies; 5) Electrification.
The Industrial Decarbonization Area is led by José Manuel Serra.
Platform presentation takes place on 26th October 2021 live streaming on YouTube
https://pti-transener.csic.es/
Nota de prensa CSIC comunicación (español)
Reunión Bienal de la Sociedad Española de Catálisis SECAT'21
Valencia
18-20/10/2021
Our colleagues Aitor, Andrés and Alfonso have presented the latest results of the Energy Storage and Conversion group at the SECAT 2021 conference held at UPV and organized by ITQ. We are very happy to be back at in-person conferences!
www.secat2021.com
Leer noticia completa del ITQ (español)
Universitat Politècnica de València Closing Ceremony 2020-2021
23/07/2021
La Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) ended on 23rd July the 2020-2021 academic year with its solemn closing ceremony. During the closing ceremony 2020-2021, the new doctors who have received the Extraordinary Award for their Doctoral Thesis were invested. One award was given to our colleague David Catalán, congratulations!
http://www.upv.es/noticias-upv/noticia-13130-transicion-al-es.html
The white paper Clean, Safe and Efficient Energy, coordinated by the researchers José Manuel Serra Alfaro, (ITQ) and Domingo Pérez Coll (ICV) has been published by CSIC
20/07/2021
The Clean, Safe and Efficient Energy white paper, coordinated by the researchers José Manuel Serra Alfaro and Domingo Pérez Coll, and in which researchers from the group participated, explores the future energy challenges for a more sustainable world. The impact of conventional energy production technologies on human health and the environment has promoted the development of transition policies towards a new energy sector model. Under this scenario, it is essential to identify the challenges that favor a clean, safe and efficient energy system, focused on energy production and storage systems, as well as on the existing management resources and their emissions.
Read the complete press release
Link to the white book
David Catalán Martínez, member of the Energy Conversion and Storage Group, has been awarded with the Extraordinary Doctoral Thesis Award from the UPV
29/06/2021
David has received the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) Extraordinary Doctoral Thesis Award. David's thesis entitled “Development of electrocatalytic layers and thermo-fluid dynamic evaluation for high temperature membrane reactors” supervised by Prof. José M. Serra focuses on the development of electrodes for high temperature proton tubular cells and on the evaluation by means of finite methods of membrane reactors based on these materials. This thesis has generated 6 publications in high impact factor journals and 2 patents.
Congratulations!
Interview to Jose Serra: "There is no roadmap for decarbonization in sectors that consume a lot of energy"
19/06/2021
The Group Leader Jose M. Serra Alfaro was interviewed by ValenciaPlaza.
You can watch the VIDEO and read the news at the following link:
https://valenciaplaza.com/kerionics-descarbonizacion-energias-membranas-desarrollo
The CO2SMOS project has officially
been launched
21/06/2021
The Energy Conversion and Storage Group from the ITQ (CSIC) participates in the Horizon 2020 EU Project awarded with 7M€ from the European Union CO2SMOS - Advanced chemicals production from biogenic CO2 emissions for circular bio-based industries.
Introduction to research scholarship
31/05/2021
Prof. Jose M. Serra Alfaro offers a research scholarship for Master Students with a high level of academic performance:
Duration: 6 months from 01/09/2021 to 15/07/2022.
Place: Instituto de Tecnología Química ITQ (UPV-CSIC), Valencia, Spain.
Scholarship: 600 euros/month
(20 hours per week).
Code: JAEIntro-2021-ITQ-05. Desarrollo de electrodos para la conversión selectiva de CO2.
All information available on: https://sede.csic.gob.es/intro2021icu
Contact: direccion.itq@csic.es
A new article and cover has been released in the last Issue of Materials Advances.
19/05/2021
A recent article prepared and designed by A. J. Carrillo et al. has been selected by the scientific journal Material Advances, to be published on the cover of its latest issue.
Link to the Materials Advances article
FACSA-FOVASA Chair of Water, Waste and Circular Economy of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) organise the Webinar:
“H2 verde y su generación a partir de fuentes renovables”
that will take place next Tuesday 18th of May at 10:00 am.
A meeting in which the main strategic lines of the administration will be addressed, the current situation of the EU, and of Spain in particular, regarding infrastructures and technologies used to obtain hydrogen, its storage and transport, as well as its different applications.
The event will bring together numerous experts, including José Manuel Serra Alfaro, Research Professor from the ITQ, performing: " Tecnologías habilitadoras para la producción de H2 verde a través de recursos sostenibles."
You can consult the complete agenda and the registration form following the link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PTIstkKRQ56c5KYdbxxVDg
https://www.facsa.com/
https://www.fovasa.com/
Interview for CARWOW with JF Calero in spanish.
The revolutionary engine designed and being developed at the UPV in Valencia, by researchers from ITQ and CMT-Motores Térmicos is based on the use of an oxycombustion membrane capable of generating as waste only water and CO2 which is capture, without tailpipe.
NEW Press release about
Hydrogen production by microwaves
01/02/2021
Solar News magazine has dedicated an article to the technology developed by researchers from ITACA (UPV) and ITQ (CSIC), a method that transforms electricity into hydrogen or chemical products, applying exclusively microwave power.
It is a revolution in the field of energy research and a key advance for the industrial decarbonization process, as well as for the future of sectors such as the automotive or chemical industry, among many others.
Link to the magazine (page 20-22):
https://es.calameo.com/read/0008841652b2aa0892d3d
iCAREPLAST Newsletter 4, November 2020
17/11/2020
The 4th Newsletter of the Horizon 2020 project iCAREPLAST, coordinated by José M. Serra,
is already available online.
Topics featured in this number include:
• What is KERIONICS and their rol in the project.
• iCAREPLAST joined Plastics Circularity
Multiplier (PCM) event.
• Dissemination activities and upcoming events.
Link to the iCAREPLAST Newsletter 4
Cycle of conferences on molecular sieves with participation of ITQ researchers
17-20/11/2020
On November 17th, the cycle of conferences on molecular sieves will start, organized by Sibele, Unv. Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Antonio Chica, researcher at ITQ, will give a lecture on November 20th about catalysts and energy. Registration is free of charge.
Full programme and registration:
http://www.lmn.ufc.br/ciclo2020_programacao.html
Hydrogen production by microwaves.
This technology, developed by researchers from our team at ITQ and ITACA has been published in the latest edition of Nature Energy and patented by the UPV and CSIC.
03/11/2020
The technology enables the transformation of green electric energy into hydrogen by the sole application of microwaves. This technique opens the door to new, simpler and energy-efficient routes to store renewable energy and produce both synthetic fuels and green chemicals. Its use can be a key solution in the transition towards the decarbonisation in transportation and industry sectors.
Read the complete press release
Link to the Nature Energy article
Our Group participates in a new European project (Life-Superbiodiesel) that is committed to the development of new catalytic technologies to produce biodiesel from residual animal fats, 20/10/2020
Superbiodiesel project aims to produce advanced biofuels through catalytic processes from residual fats from the leather tanning industry.
The project aims at a comprehensive recovery of meat waste:
- The protein fraction will be refined to obtain derivatives with high added value.
- The fat will be valued as an advanced biofuel.
To do this, a demonstration plant will be built at the ORGANOVAC facilities, which will use catalysts developed at the Instituto de Tecnología Química (Antonio Chica, ITQ-CSIC, Energy Conversion and Storage Group) in Valencia, and will have biofuel validation obtained by Cepsa.
One of the main advantages of the project is the use of unrefined fats, avoiding pre-treatment stages and reducing the generation of waste. Furthermore, the biofuel complies with the standards of the European Renewable Energy Directive for advanced biofuels (EU 2018/2001, december 21st, 2018), since it is obtained using waste from other industries, so it does not compete in food markets or require agricultural activities with high environmental impact such as deforestation, water consumption or indirect CO2 emissions.
The project has been financed within the framework of the European LIFE 2019 Climate Change Mitigation program and has the participation of the Asociación de Investigación de la industria del Juguete, related and allied-AIJU (coordinator), Fundación IMDEA Energía, Asociación de Investigación para la industria del Calzado and related, ORGANOVAC SL, Universidad de Murcia, Instituto de Tecnología Química ITQ-CSIC (Energy Conversion and Storage Group) and Cepsa.
Project launch press releases (english):
https://www.energy.imdea.org/events/2020/life-superbiodiesel-project-kick
https://www.aiju.es/en/proyectos/production-of-biodiesel/
https://www.cepsa.com/en/technology/research/superbiodiesel-project
Antonio Chica, researcher and member of the Energy Conversion and Storage Group at the ITQ, talks about hydrogen as a key element for a CO2-free economy, 15/10/2020
Our ITQ colleague Antonio Chica, along with Javier Brey, president of the Spanish Hydrogen Association (AeH2), talk about hydrogen as a key element for a CO2-free economy in an interview offered by BBVA.
Project for the disinfection / sanitation of public transport with ozone.
30/09/2020
Our Group participates in a project for the disinfection of public transport with ozone led by the company Levantina, Ingeniería y Construcciones-Vareser.
Levantina, Ingeniera y Construcción (LiC) and Vareser 96 S.L have developed an ozone disinfection system, in collaboration with different groups of the UPV and the CSIC (ITQ and IATA Energy Conversion and Storage group), which has been successfully tested on the Valencia tram and metro.
One of the innovations presented by the disinfection technology developed is its zero ozone emission into the atmosphere. It is in this part of the project where our research group has worked, collaborating in the development of a catalytic system that allows the total elimination of the excess ozone, after carrying out the disinfection treatment, thus avoiding its emission into the atmosphere. Although the system has already been successfully tested in the tram and metro, it could be applied with the same guarantees in any other type of public transport such as trains and planes. Currently, the company already has a commercial catalog where it offers the recently developed disinfection service.
Alfonso wins la Caixa Junior Leader
Fellowship 2020
21/09/2020
Alfonso Carrillo has been awarded with a Postdoctoral Junior Leader “Incoming” Fellowship by la Caixa Foundation, which will allow him to continue developing his project at the ITQ (UPV - CSIC) for the next 3 years. Congratulations Alfonso!
Hydrogen generator design: EU selects platform developed by ITQ researchers as excellent innovation with high market potential
27/08/2020
The GamerEfficiencySizing (GES) calculation platform, created for the European research project GAMER (Game changer in high temperature steam electrolysers with novel tubular cells and stacks geometry for pressurized hydrogen production) and developed by José Manuel Serra and David Catalán, members of the Energy Conversion and Storage research group of the ITQ (CSIC-UPV), has been selected by Innovation Radar, an initiative of the European Commission that identifies the excellent innovations developed in the European Union (EU) with high market potential.
-> Read the complete Press Release and
more about the tool
-> Haz clic en este link para leer en español
Researchers from ITQ and CMT-Motores Térmicos design a new internal combustion engine that does not emit gases that are harmful to health or CO2
07/08/2020
It is based on the use of ceramic membranes that eliminate all polluting gases that are harmful to health (NOx), capture their own and atmospheric CO2 and liquefy it. It is a "revolutionary" engine, say its creators, which complies with the emission regulations scheduled for 2040 and stands out for its high efficiency. The first two prototypes of this engine will see the light in the coming months, thanks to funding from the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI).
-> Haz clic en este link para leer en español
-> Nota de prensa completa en español
PhD Defense - Nuria Bausá Martínez
25/5/2020 12:00
The act of defense of the doctoral thesis of Nuria Bausá Martínez entitled "High temperature electrolysers based on proton ceramics" will take place on Monday 25/5 at 12:00 through a videoconference on the MS TEAMS platform.
José Manuel Serra, ITQ researcher, awarded with the 2018 Scientific Challenge Award from Air Liquide 15/07/2019
The proposed research, entitled Lower-CO2 H2. How to produce cost competitive hydrogen while reducing greenhouse gas emission, focuses on obtaining hydrogen in a very energy efficient and economically competitive way while minimizing the emission of greenhouse gases. The work has as its starting point a previous development made by the ITQ team – led by Jose M. Serra – in collaboration with the multinational Coorstek M.S.
Article published in Nature Materials
03/06/2019
An international team with participation of the ITQ, has developed an electrolysis system that allows to obtain hydrogen under pressure more efficiently
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-019-0388-2
Researchers from our team developed a new electrified reactor to obtain hydrogen in a more sustainable and energy efficient way.
Interview for CARWOW with JF Calero
in spanish
Direct electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 into chemical energy carriers
in a co-ionic membrane reactor.
Integrated Catalytic Recycling of Plastic Residues Into Added-Value Chemicals
How to produce cost competitive hydrogen while reducing greenhouse gas emissions
