HySelect – Efficient water splitting via a flexible solar-powered Hybrid thermochemical-Sulphur dioxide depolarized Electrolysis Cycle is a European research and innovation project funded by the European Union through the Clean Hydrogen Partnership under Horizon Europe (Grant Agreement No. 101101498).
HySelect aims to demonstrate efficient and cost-competitive renewable hydrogen production by combining concentrated solar technologies (CST) with the Hybrid Sulphur (HyS) thermochemical water-splitting cycle.
The HyS cycle combines two main processes: high-temperature sulphuric acid decomposition and sulphur trioxide splitting (SAD-STS), driven by concentrated solar thermal energy, and low-temperature sulphur dioxide depolarized electrolysis (SDE) for hydrogen production. By using solar heat for the thermochemical process and reducing the electrical energy required for electrolysis, HySelect seeks to improve the efficiency and economic competitiveness of renewable hydrogen production.
Objectives and Technologies
HySelect develops and validates an integrated hydrogen production concept, focusing on:
- Concentrated solar technology: Solar thermal energy generation using DLR's centrifugal particle receiver (CentRec®) and high-temperature ceramic particles.
- Thermal energy storage: Integration of solid particle storage to support flexible operation under variable solar conditions.
- Sulphuric acid decomposition: Development of a solar-heated SAD-STS reactor with advanced catalysts and materials.
- SO2-depolarized electrolysis: Development of an electrolyser using non-critical materials and avoiding expensive platinum-group metals.
- System integration: Process simulation, heat recovery, smart operation and control strategies for an efficient hydrogen production chain.
- Techno-economic assessment: Evaluation of technology performance, scalability, industrial applicability and commercialisation potential.
Project Information
- Project acronym: HySelect
- Grant Agreement: 101101498
- Programme: Horizon Europe – Clean Hydrogen Partnership
- Duration: 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2026
- Coordinator: German Aerospace Center (DLR)
- Consortium: 6 organisations from 5 European countries
- Project website: https://hyselect.eu/
- Publications and deliverables: https://hyselect.eu/resources/
- CORDIS: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101101498