CORDIS · ColdSpark
COLDSPARK DRIVEN ENERGY AND COST-EFFICIENT METHANE CRACKING FOR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
- Code
ColdSpark- Programme
- HORIZON
- Call
HORIZON-CL5-2021-D2-01-09- Status
- SIGNED
- Period
- 2022-06-01 – 2025-11-30
Official data · CORDIS · synced 2026-10-18 03:29 · official record
Participants
| Organisations | Role | Country | Grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEID AS | coordinator | NO | 944 125 € |
| NORCE RESEARCH AS | participant | NO | 690 148 € |
| FUNDACIO INSTITUT DE RECERCA EN ENERGIA DE CATALUNYA | participant | ES | 263 125 € |
| UNIVERSITETET I STAVANGER | participant | NO | 259 856 € |
| IBBK FACHGRUPPE BIOGAS GMBH | participant | DE | 184 375 € |
| EUROPROJECT OOD | participant | BG | 154 375 € |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL | associated partner | UK |
Description
The ColdSpark project will validate a novel non-thermal plasma technology to produce hydrogen at an industrial scale from methane, with a process energy efficiency of 79%, achieving a conversion rate of 85% with zero CO2 emissions. This will be achieved by designing an industrial relevant reactor that leverages the best features of the non-thermal plasma technologies, gliding arc and corona discharge, to ensure high efficiency and scalability. The innovation addresses for the first time the critical step of matching the reactor with a pulsed power supply. It enables a perfect fine-tuning of the cracking process parameters, to find the right electron density and energy distribution in the plasma reactor, to maximise energy efficiency. The up- and downstream gas management will be optimised to further contribute to the system’s compatibility to existing infrastructure. The project will develop and test a novel plasma reactor at lab scale and validate it in conjunction with the power supply at large-scale, pursuing the industry’s most power efficient generation of hydrogen alongside high-value carbon. The technology will assess its application for both, natural gas and biomethane producers. A low energy cost (< 15 kWh/kg H2 produced) without the need for catalysts and water, makes the proposed solution the most cost-competitive, environment-friendly, and less complex to implement. The reactor design and modularity bring lower CAPEX and OPEX and make it easily scalable and flexible. The project gathers the expertise of a mix of academic, research, and industrial partners from five countries, which bring both outstanding research and topic competence, as well as knowledge and access to the solution for end-user industries.
Official data · CORDIS · synced 2026-10-18 03:29 · official record · Licence: © European Union, CC BY 4.0 (Commission reuse policy).