By advancing breakthrough research on LOHC technologies, UnLOHCked aims at developing a radically disruptive, versatile and scalable LOHC-dehydrogenation plant. Firstly, highly active and stable catalysts without critical raw materials will be developed for reducing LOHC dehydrogenation at moderate temperatures. Secondly, an SOFC-system will be developed to be thermally integrated with the dehydrogenation process. The heat demand of the dehydrogenation unit will be fully covered by the fuel cell, while generating electric power. The surplus of hydrogen is exported. These innovative systems fully integrated will allow significant increase of overall efficiency (>50%) to hydrogen and electric power production from LOHC. Three industry partners, HERAEUS, HYGEAR and FRAMATOME, will collaborate with four universities and research centres, the University of Bilbao (Spain), CEA, CNRS-Lyon and North-West University of South Africa to develop scalable prototype system at TRL 5, validating the performance of the technology during at least 500 h. The ambition is to demonstrate the feasibility of a fully CO2-free dehydrogenation process for large-scale production of hydrogen (100-1,000 t H2/d) and electricity with competitive prices (hydrogen carrier delivery cost <2.5€/kg). Thus converting CO2-free LOHC to electricity and hydrogen instead of using NG or LPG as heat source. The UnLOHCked approach is clean & circular: it decreases energy consumption, does not use noble metals while generating CO2-free hydrogen and electricity. Techno-economic studies will demonstrate the potential of the technology to both supply hydrogen and renewable electricity to decarbonise the EU economy and to open-up hydrogen transportation by LOHC. FRAMATOME, HYGEAR AND HERAEUS will support the consortium preparing for fast market entry after the project.

The GO4FUSION project will lay the groundwork for a strong, collaborative European fusion energy community, preparing for the future establishment of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). This PPP will facilitate funding for industrial and R&D activities. Key objectives include consolidating the European Fusion Stakeholder Network (EFSN), creating an industry-led association representing European fusion industries and research organizations, and developing a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) to shape short, medium and long-term R&D in fusion. Additionally, GO4FUSION will explore the creation of a trade association to support the growth of the European fusion industry through advocacy, networking, and education. The project will also address intellectual property management and technology transfer, ensuring European innovations in the fusion sector are protected and effectively exploited. The future PPP must ensure the successful takeoff of fusion technology and support the accelerated advancement of research and innovation in this sector. This project will help enhance the visibility of fusion technology in Europe, targeting policymakers, citizens, industry, and researchers. The consortium will include major actors from the current fusion community, led by ENEA, the Italian agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development innovation. Major research institutes from France, Germany, Italy, and Spain will complement the consortium, alongside key industrial players. This consortium is well-suited to building the fusion community in Europe and possesses the necessary knowledge and network to engage the entire fusion value chain, driving the establishment of the future partnership and fostering Europe’s strategic autonomy and competitiveness for the future commercial deployment of fusion energy.

PASTELS aims to significantly increase the knowledge within Europe of innovative passive systems, namely SACOs and CWCs, and the ability of several European system and CFD computational codes to be able to accurately model key phenomena such as natural circulation loops and condensation. This is very challenging due to their very specific properties, i.e. small driving forces working against high resistive forces which are specific to the concept of these technologies. Given the growing use of the SACO and CWC technologies in non-European NPPs, it is essential, especially with the foreseen future use of Small Medium Reactors (SMR) that the European nuclear community is able to adapt its current numerical tools to this promising technology. Extensive experimental testing (SET, CET and integral experiments) with representative operating conditions on semi-industrial full scale test facilities (PKL facility [DE] and PASI facility [FI]) will provide essential data to support the improvement of the numerical activities. Existing data from PERSEO and HERO-2 facilities will also be used. The numerical and experimental activities will be conducted in an integrated step-by-step approach. PASTELS will investigate improvements to models, novel methodologies for the coupling of system and CFD codes working at different scales. Additionally, important knowledge on the behaviour of the SACO and CWC will be captured through the observation of their behaviour during the test campaigns. Different and similar computational codes will be used by the partners in order to be able to benchmark and compare the different results obtained, understand the causes and propose strategies to improve them. All project results will feed into extensive methodology guidelines and a roadmap to achieving licensing and implementation of these innovative passive system technologies in future European NPPs.

The Long-Term Operation of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) calls for innovative methods to monitor the ageing of safety systems. New instrumentation will also lead to improve decision-making in accidental conditions thanks to additional information, complementing the material and organisational modifications decided after the Fukushima accident. The project FIND aims first to adapt innovative technologies deployed in other industries to prevent the failure of metallic pipes. FIND will work on Structural Health Monitoring technologies (ultrasonic guided waves and acoustic emission) to detect defects in real time during plant operation, even in inaccessible locations. In addition, Digital Twins will be developed to better predict degradation phenomena, with combination of detailed mechanical models and real plant data (strain, temperature and vibration measurements). Tests in experimental and industrial conditions (including NPPs) will be performed, representative of the following phenomena: - Local corrosion and large deformations of raw service water pipes, - Stress corrosion cracking and fatigue on the primary circuit, - Flow accelerated corrosion on the turbine extraction line. Concerning accidental instrumentation, FIND will first develop systems to track water movements during a loss-of-coolant accident. This will include localisation of breach thanks to heated thermocouples and data science approaches. FIND will evaluate feasibility to monitor progression of severe accidents, thanks to analysis of fission products in containment, either by gamma ray spectroscopy or physicochemical analysis. Technologies developed in FIND are low intrusive and cost effective. They will help to anticipate maintenance, and will complete or replace some Non-Destructive Testing. This will result in higher availability of NPPs, lower operator dosimetry, and reduced costs, which will foster their adoption. FIND is led by IRSN, French public expert for nuclear risks and encompasse