Instytut Energetyki

What is the Center for Hydrogen Technologies (CTH₂)?

The Centre for Hydrogen Technologies (CTH₂), established in 2020 as part of the Institute of Power Engineering – National Research Institute, coordinates efforts related to the development and implementation of hydrogen technologies. The Center serves as a think tank that leverages its scientific and technical potential to conduct research, develop and deliver market products, and provide comprehensive consulting services in the field. Additionally, it promotes knowledge of hydrogen technologies, with a special focus on the role of hydrogen in the ongoing energy transition.

CTH₂ brings together over 60 interdisciplinary researchers with expertise in such areas as process engineering, materials engineering, chemistry, physics, power engineering, automation and control engineering, and solid-state chemistry and physics. The Center for Hydrogen Technologies (CTH₂) of the Institute of Power Engineering - National Research Institute was established in May 2020 as a response to new challenges in the development of hydrogen technologies in Poland.

CTH₂  projects

In 2022, the Center coordinated the implementation of the task carried out under Priority Programme 5.1.1 ‘Support to the Climate Minister in the implementation of climate policy, financed by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management’:

Center for Hydrogen Technologies staff members participated in expert and consultative teams and public administration advisory bodies, including:

• Coordinating Council of the Sectoral Agreement for the Development of the Hydrogen Economy,
• Council of the Mazovian Hydrogen Valley,
• International Energy Agency, Annex 32: Advanced Fuel Cells,
• European research initiative on Green Hydrogen,
• Hydrogen Europe Research,
• European Energy Research Alliance, Fuel Cells and Hydrogen,
• National Environmental Council,
• Hydrogen Expert Panel of the Chamber of Commerce of Natural Gas,
• Board of the Podkarpackie Hydrogen Valley.

Representatives of the Center were leaders of task forces implementing the indicator goals of the Polish Hydrogen Strategy within Group 1 of the Hydrogen Alliance: Hydrogen Production.

• Team G1.1: Launch of national production of new components, hydrogen technologies based on national scientific and research potential,
• Team G1.2: Realisation of R&D and basic research in the field of electrolysers (including definition of an optimal power range of electrolysers to be installed in Poland),
• Team G1.8: Decarbonisation of the steel and cement industries.

The Center has represented the Institute of Power Engineering in Hydrogen Valleys at industry events, trade fairs, popular science events and media debates, including: 7th Scientific Conference ‘Energy Security - Pillars and Development Perspective’, Hydrogen in the Economy, New Energy Model, International Conference and Expo on Advanced Ceramics and Composites (ICACC2022), World Fuel Cell Conference, 8th Energy Congress Security of Energy Supply in Times of Transition, International Conference on Electrolysis, 5th International Workshop on Degradation Issues of Fuel Cells and Electrolysers, Ceramics in Europe, 7th International Conference on Contemporary Problems of Thermal Engineering (CPOTE 2022), 17th Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES), 241st Meeting of the Electrochemical Society (ECS) and others.

In 2022, the CTH₂ staff made study visits to the University of Aveiro, Portugal, DTU, Denmark, Colorado Fuel Cell Center, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, and the National Fuel Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA, as part of the ongoing Polish-American SUPER-SOE project: Investigation of high temperature co-electrolysis of carbon dioxide and steam in solid oxide electrochemical cells operated at elevated pressure, which is carried out under the SONATA BIS programme of the National Science Centre (SONATA-BIS 2021/42/E/ST8/00401).

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What is the Department of Energy Equipment Research?

The Department has over 40 years of experience in testing boilers, burners, and heating appliances fired with solid fuels. It also provides advisory and expert services in the above-mentioned field. The Department’s clients include both domestic and foreign customers (Germany, Latvia). The Department cooperates with manufacturers associated with the Chamber of Commerce for RES Equipment.

What does the Department of Energy Equipment Research do?

More than 40 years of experience of the CUE Department in the design and testing of heating equipment enables us to offer:

• design and modernization of low-power heating appliances (up to 1 MW),
• rental of a measurement test stand (with or without an operator),
• testing of pellet burners,
• testing of storage water heaters in accordance with PN-EN 12897+A1:2020-03,
• testing of domestic hot water (DHW) storage tanks,
• testing of other low-power heating devices (e.g. air heaters),
• testing of residential solid fuel–fired appliances in accordance with the PN-EN 16510 series of standards,
• thermal and emission testing during combustion of alternative fuels,
• conducting research and development work in the field of low-power heating equipment energy engineering (up to 1 MW).

Within the Department of Energy Equipment Research operates an Accredited Laboratory (No. AB 087), which performs tests of boilers and solid fuel–fired appliances. It is the only laboratory in Poland accredited to test heating boilers with a thermal output of up to 1 MW. Obtaining a positive result of thermal and emission tests confirming compliance with the standard PN-EN 303-5:2021-09 and/or PN-EN 303-5+A1:2023-05, and meeting the requirements of Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/1189 of 28 April 2015 implementing Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to ecodesign requirements for solid fuel boilers, enables boilers to be placed on the market within the territory of the European Union.

Within the scope of accreditation and notification No. 1452, the assessment and verification of constancy of performance of products (AVCP – Assessment and Verification of Constancy of Performance, system 3) is carried out in accordance with Regulation (EU) No. 305/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2011 (CPR), laying down harmonised conditions for the marketing of construction products and repealing Council Directive 89/106/EEC, in accordance with harmonised standards.

Compliance with the EN 16510 series of standards during the assessment by a notified body, together with documented factory production control, enables appliances to be placed on the market within the territory of the European Union.

The Boiler and Heating Equipment Testing Laboratory offers accredited testing of:

• roomheaters, in accordance with PN-EN 16510-2-1:2023-06,
• inset appliances including open-fire (fireplace inserts), in accordance with PN-EN 16510-2-2:2023-06,
• room heaters, built-in appliances, and cookers with mechanical feeding of wood pellets in accordance with PN-EN 16510-2-6:2023-06,
• cookers in accordance with PN-EN 16510-2-3:2023-06,
• solid fuel boilers in accordance with PN-EN 303-5,
• room heaters with heat storage in accordance with PN-EN 15250:2009,
• pellet-fired room heaters in accordance with PN-EN 14785:2009.

If you are interested in our offer, please complete the inquiry form and send a scanned copy to the following email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Why is it worth using our services?

Within the Department of Energy Equipment Research operates an experienced team of experts offering comprehensive services in the testing of boilers, burners, and solid fuel–fired heating appliances. The Department includes a Laboratory that holds an accreditation certificate issued by the Polish Centre for Accreditation, No. AB 087 (registration card / scope of accreditation). The Department has references, among others, from the following companies:

• Defro
• Hamech
• Lazar
• Moderator

Power Engineering Equipment Research Department LG ul. Dostawcza 1 93-231 Łódź phone: +48 42 64 00 821

Head of the Department Karolina Tomczyk - Karasek, Eng, MSc

What is the Department of High Temperature Electrochemical Processes?

The Department of High Temperature Electrochemical Processes (CPE) is an interdisciplinary team consisting of specialists and experts from the fields of energy, chemical engineering, materials engineering, process engineering and related areas. The unit's activities focus on the development of hydrogen technologies, with particular emphasis on the topic of solid oxide electrochemical cells (SOC, or Solid Oxide Cell), which represent a promising solution in the context of decarbonization of hard-to-electrify areas of the economy. 

What does the Department of High Temperature Electrochemical Processes do?

We carry out numerous projects involving work in the nature of research, development and implementation, as well as commercial contracts for the supply of fixed-oxide cell installations. We are also open to cooperation in which our team of specialists will advise and prepare solutions tailored to individual customers including: business entities, central administration, international and foreign institutions in the field of:

• highly efficient generation of electricity and heat by electrochemical processes - fuel cell mode (SOFC mode),
• production of zero-emission hydrogen and derivatives (including CO2 utilization) by high-temperature electrolysis and co-electrolysis (SOE and co-SOE modes, respectively), also taking into account ammonia (NH3), as a pure hydrogen carrier,
• Power-to-X and X-to-Power solutions,
• storage of electricity, heat and in other forms, among others, using reversible rSOCs (SOE-SOFC switching mode),
• numerical calculations and computer simulation of electrochemical and chemical processes and power plants,
• design and construction of power systems,
• technical consulting in the field of new hydrogen technologies and the broader power industry.

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Why should you choose our services?

We have a unique laboratory infrastructure for studying electrochemical processes from the level of individual cells and components to complete energy systems based on SOC cells of different functionality and dedicated size. CPE team members also apply proprietary and unique solutions used in numerical studies and modeling of complex hydrogen-based processes and systems.

We apply global standards for characterization of solid oxide cells. We cooperate with leading European and global institutions, including universities, research institutions and directly with industry. The team bases its experience on numerous projects funded by the European Commission, the U.S. Department of State (DoS), the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), the National Center for Research and Development (NCBR), the National Science Center (NCN), the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MNiSW) and directly by industry.

The SOC/SOE/SOFC technology being developed at the High-Temperature Electrochemical Processes Plant addresses the global challenges of the hydrogen economy and minimizing the effects of climate change, particularly focusing on the production of hydrogen and synthetic fuels using renewable energy. In addition to the aforementioned activities, the plant is also focusing on the development of new materials for SOC cells to reduce the consumption of critical raw materials, as well as solutions to enable their reuse in line with recycling and closed-loop economy technologies.

The plant has a unique laboratory infrastructure for studying electrochemical processes from the microstructure level of materials to complete energy systems based on fuel cells and electrolyzers for hydrogen generation. CPE team members use commercial and proprietary codes for numerical studies of complex processes and systems. The most advanced calculations use a multi-process high-power computing cluster.

CPE uses global standards for the characterization of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), and collaborates with leading European and global institutions, including universities, research institutions and directly with industry. The team has experience gained from numerous projects funded by the European Commission, the U.S. Department of State (DoS), the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), the National Center for Research and Development (NCBR), the National Center for Science (NCN), the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MNiSW) and directly by industry. The technology being developed at the Department of High-Temperature Electrochemical Processes is a response to global challenges in the hydrogen economy, particularly the production of hydrogen and synthetic fuels using renewable energy.

Our projects

AMMORE Project – Ammonia as a Sustainable Fuel in Solid Oxide Fuel Cell-based Systems for Transportation and Energy

 

Contact us

Department of High Temperature Electrochemical Processes  36 Augustówka Street 02-981 Warsaw

Head of the Department Dr. Eng. Anna Niemczyk +48 797 205 160