The overall objective of the ELECTRIVERT project is to locally enhance the energy provided by biomass, in particular biogas, by promoting its conversion into electricity using innovative SOFC fuel cell systems. For the partnership made up of design offices, specialist companies and teaching and research institutes, the first step will be to establish an inventory of the production, enhancement and distribution of biogas in the cooperation area and to develop this sector there with producers of agricultural organic waste. The second objective of the project is to optimise the manufacturing technologies for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) to convert biogas from organic waste into electricity and heat. This will involve developing elementary cells of variable dimensions to produce 50 W prototype stacks running on biogas.

Expected results:

The ultimate goal of this project is to raise awareness among stakeholders in these sectors, while encouraging the creation of new biogas producers and increasing the installation of fuel cells in homes and farms, which will convert biomass into clean electricity and heat used locally, thus contributing significantly to the transition to more sustainable energy. Awareness-raising should stimulate the commitment of private and public stakeholders in the implementation of projects aligned with renewable energy development strategies. Furthermore, the optimization of SOFC fuel cell technologies and their adaptation to biogas as a fuel contributes to the innovation and competitiveness of companies operating in the renewable energy sector. The project should also catalyze investment by these companies and facilitate the industrialization of technological solutions that they have developed.

– November 2024: Start of the collaboration

– Stack and cells manufacturing

– Coating machine development

– Biogas collection from biogas installation in Valais

– Biogas cleaning

– Stacks assemblies and testing