Energy transition: sustainable energy storage with green ammonia
![[Translate to English:] Serie di turbine eoliche](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==)
The European Union, through the Horizon EU programme, has provided €3 million for FASTER project (Flexible Ammonia Synthesis Technology for Energy StoRage), aiming to develop an innovative and sustainable method for storing green energy.
FASTER focuses on harnessing green energy, such as solar and wind power, whose availability is often unpredictable and does not coincide with peak power demand. By converting this energy into ammonia, a substance that can be easily stored and transported as a liquid, the energy can be used at a later time. This is crucial for addressing seasonal fluctuations in energy production and consumption.
Liquid ammonia offers unique advantages as an energy carrier. It has a much higher energy density than liquified hydrogen and is easier and more cost effective to transport. Moreover, ammonia is already widely produced and used today, particularly in the fertiliser industry, meaning there are well-established protocols to handle and store it safely.
The expertise and skills of the consortium ensure the synergy between new catalysts, reactors and process solutions, which is at the heart of the development of new technologies for the energy transition. Our group’s contribution to the FASTER project focuses on the design and optimization of innovative components for sustainable and efficient small scale ammonia synthesis reactor and separation processes. By integrating advanced characterization techniques, multiscale modeling, and the development of structured catalysts, we aim to enable the conversion of green energy into a storable and transportable resource.
Gianpiero Groppi, professor at the Energy Department of Politecnico di Milano and member of the project
FASTER, coordinated by Prof. Dr. Ir. Jimmy A. Faria from the University of Twente in the Netherlands, consists of eight academic and industrial partners from five European countries (the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and the United Kingdom).