The LOCOMOTION project aimed to address critical barriers to the adoption of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) in maritime transport. The project adopted a bottom-up approach to fuel cell component design, focusing on three key areas: membrane development, catalyst innovation, and carbon support optimization. The overarching goal was to reduce production costs and enhance durability under maritime-specific load profiles, without compromising performance.
Membrane Development:
Novel hydrocarbon block copolymers were synthesized, combining sulfonated poly(aryl sulfide sulfone) (sPASS) and poly(aryl ether ketone) (PAEK) blocks. Despite successful synthesis and coupling, the resulting block copolymers exhibited low molecular weights, leading to brittle membranes with poor mechanical integrity. To mitigate this, blends with commercial sPEEK were fabricated, yielding self-standing membranes with moderate ionic conductivity (35 mS/cm at 70?°C) and uniform thickness.
Carbon Support Development:
CealTech synthesized various graphene powders to be used as catalyst supports by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, demonstrating high crystallinity, low defect density, and homogeneous particle size. Upscaled batches were produced on the order of 10g. Additional graphene variants were synthesized to explore further performance enhancements.
Catalyst Development:
TUBITAK synthesized PtCo/Graphene catalysts using a microwave-assisted method, which enabled uniform nanoparticle distribution and minimized agglomeration. This approach yielded high electrochemical surface area (ECSA) and enhanced oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics. Compared to conventional synthesis methods (e.g., hydrothermal, sol-gel), the microwave method offered superior scalability, energy efficiency, and environmental sustainability.
In-Situ Fuel Cell Testing and Durability Assessment:
SINTEF conducted extensive in-situ fuel cell testing of catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs) under accelerated stress tests and real-world maritime drive cycles. A matrix of CCM compositions was evaluated using various membrane, ionomer, and catalyst compositions. PFSA-based CCMs demonstrated the highest initial performance, but hydrocarbon-based CCMs with PtCo catalysts showed promising results, indicating potential for further optimization and reduced reliance on perfluorinated materials and platinum group metals.
Impact and Future Directions:
The LOCOMOTION project generated new insights into PEMFC component design, particularly under maritime operating conditions. Dissemination efforts include scientific publications and workshops, with ongoing collaborations aimed at scaling up graphene-based catalyst technologies. The findings contribute to advancing European competitiveness in sustainable energy technologies and support the transition toward zero-emission maritime transport.
The LOCOMOTION project has developed and characterized novel proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) components with potential to increase durability and sustainability of PEMFC technologies. More specifically, we have demonstrated an extensive matrix of membrane and catalyst combinations that provide an unprecedented level of understanding of the impact of fluorine-free and platinum group metal (PGM)-lean catalysts on PEMFC performance and durability compared with the current state-of-the-art materials comprised of fluorinated polymer and platinum catalysts. This knowledge provides an important stepping stone for the scientific community, from which researchers around the world can learn and further expand on. The development of stable, graphene-based catalyst supports by the Norwegian industry partner, CealTech, has increased Norwegian excellence in the area of PEMFC research and development, and have broadened the range of applications for their graphene materials. Establishing expertise in PEMFC materials development provides both CealTech and SINTEF with increased opportunities for future funding to progress the results along the TRL scale to a commercially mature product. The project has also provided our South African industry partner, HyPlat, with experience in catalyst coated membrane (CCM) manufacturing employing novel fluorine-free membranes and ionomers, as well as Pt-alloy catalysts, and graphene-based catalyst supports. The collaboration has further enhanced the relationship between Norwegian and South African researchers. The transnational cooperation has provided extensive networking opportunities for all partners involved, increasing the potential for future research partnerships at the European level, a key pillar in the European Commission's strategy on research and innovation. Similarly, the collaborative efforts from LOCOMOTION have contributed to the European Commission's global approach to research and innovation, whereby we have strengthened cooperation with industrialised non-EU countries and emerging economies and deepened EU partnerships with Africa. Turkey is explicitly mentioned in the EUs dedicated innovation agenda for the Western Balkans, including in the framework of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans. The goal of increased collaboration with African countries is explicitly outlined in the Joint Communication ‘Towards a comprehensive strategy with Africa’, where the EU seeks to enhance its cooperation with Africa in research and innovation.
The overall objective of LOCOMOTION is to develop novel membrane, catalyst, and catalyst support materials to reduce the production cost of fuel cells and increase component durability under demanding maritime load cycles, while maintaining high performance.
The first phase of LOCOMOTION will focus on material development and will be divided into three activities investigating the development of i) hydrocarbon membranes, ii) graphene-based catalyst supports, and iii) Pt-alloy catalysts. The second phase of the project will focus on the development of catalyst inks using the most promising materials identified in Phase I and the production of catalyst coated membranes (CCMs) ready for in-situ fuel cell testing. The third phase of LOCOMOTION will focus on demonstrating the in-situ fuel cell (single cell, 50 cm2) performance and durability of the novel LOCOMOTION CCMs.
To achieve the ambitious goals of the LOCOMOTION project, an international, multi-disciplinary consortium has been established to maximize the synergies between the specific proficiencies of each partner. SINTEF Industry (Norway) will coordinate the project and be responsible for the development of novel fluorine-free proton exchange membranes, CealTech (Norway) will be responsible for the development of stable graphene-based catalyst support materials, TÜBITAK (Turkey) will be responsible for developing Pt-alloy catalysts, and HyPlat (South Africa) will be responsible for the catalyst coated membrane fabrication. Fuel cell testing activities will be carried out at SINTEF and TÜBITAK.
