Bekaert selected for EU Innovation Fund grant to strengthen the green hydrogen value chain in Europe

Zwevegem, Belgium – Bekaert has been selected for funding of up to €23.6 million from the EU Innovation Fund 2023 for its project “GRAND PIANO”, securing clean tech manufacturing in Europe. The grant selection will facilitate essential product and process innovation for electrolysis stacks, the heart of green hydrogen production systems.

Bekaert has been active in the hydrogen sector for over 20 years and has established a technology and market leadership position in metal fiber media (Currento®) used as porous transport layer (PTL) in electrolyzers producing green hydrogen.

Investing in next-generation innovative solutions for green hydrogen production, Bekaert wants to expand its product portfolio through the project GRAND PIANO in Belgium. The project includes both product innovation and manufacturing process innovation.

GRAND PIANO aims to establish an automated GW-scale production line for Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) porous transport layers (PTL) and pioneer the first worldwide commercial production of Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) PTL. Simultaneously, Bekaert will transition from being a component supplier to offering integrated solutions. It will achieve this by introducing breakthrough technology for MEA, which will enable a 90% reduction in iridium usage in the production of PEM electrolyzers, making PEM electrolyzers more cost-competitive and less vulnerable to supply chain disruptions.

Once realized, the project will enable the deployment of up to 39 GW for PEM and AEM technologies in the first ten years. The anticipated greenhouse gas (GHG) avoidance is projected to reach 11.7 million tons in the initial years of operation. The final investment decision will depend on the adoption rate of the new technologies and market dynamics. Bekaert is looking forward to starting the Grant Agreement Preparation in the coming days.

Edouard d’Autume, VP Hydrogen stated: “The transition to alternative energy sources is crucial to meet the challenges of climate change. We are grateful for the support by the EU Innovation fund as this grant will accelerate our contribution towards more competitive green hydrogen production at scale. GRAND PIANO has the ambition to secure clean tech manufacturing in Europe. Together with our partners, we aim to enable end-users to faster adopt green hydrogen-based solutions.”