After three and a half years of intensive work, the Ecostore-H2 research project – a strategic initiative dedicated to the eco-sustainable development of polymers and ultraporous carbons for the storage and transport of hydrogen – has been successfully completed. Funded with over € 3.8 million by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security as part of the PNRR, the project was coordinated by the Università del Piemonte Orientale. This collaboration between academia, research centres and industry has tackled one of the most complex challenges facing the widespread adoption of hydrogen as an energy |
carrier: the need to store it safely at pressures significantly lower than those used in traditional systems.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY‘ We started with the idea of applying the principles of the circular economy to a cutting-edge technology,’ explained Professor Leonardo Marchese, the project coordinator.“ We have recovered waste materials such as polystyrene, biomass and industrial resins to transform them into ultra-porous, highly efficient carbonaceous materials. Thanks to artificial intelligence, we have been able to predict their hydrogen storage capacity, taking the technology
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out of the laboratory: today we have a fully-fledged pilot plant and a demonstrator ready to test this safe and sustainable storage system under real-world conditions.”
MULTIDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION The success of the initiative is down to close multidisciplinary collaboration that has brought together expertise in materials chemistry, process engineering, modelling and environmental impact analysis. The partnership involved the active participation of the Università del Piemonte Orientale, the Università del Sannio, the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche( CNR-IPCB), Stellantis
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( formerly the Fiat Research Centre) and SOL S. p. A., with vital support from Environment Park for LCA( Life Cycle Assessment) studies and from other companies involved in industrial scale-up. With its conclusion, Ecostore-H2 establishes itself as a best-practice model of technology transfer capable of generating high-impact innovation. The results achieved not only accelerate the energy transition towards safer and more sustainable solutions, but also tangibly strengthen the competitiveness of the Italian industrial system in two key sectors for the future: hydrogen and advanced materials. |
Italian technology plast / October 2026 |
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