The Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform “STEP” is an initiative of the European Commission dedicated to boosting investment in critical technologies in Europe
 

The STEP Seal aims at:

  • Promoting top-rated proposals by certifying their quality and contribution to STEP objectives. 
  • Facilitating cumulative or combined funding from several EU budget instruments. 
  • Attracting additional or alternative private and public finance. 

 

The GRAND PIANO project was recognised as a high-quality project proposal in a highly competitive evaluation process and contributes to the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) objectives, following evaluation by an international panel of independent experts.

STEP Seal

GRAND PIANO: Generating And Upscaling Innovation In Green Hydrogen Production: Boosting Pem and Aem Technologies in Europe

EU Innovation Fund

European Commission's initiative including RePowerEU, the Net-Zero Industry Act, and the Critical Raw Materials Acts, emphasise the urgent need to transition towards renewable energy sources and reduce reliance on external fossil fuels. At the forefront of this transition is the GRAND PIANO project by Bekaert, aimed at strengthening hydrogen value chain in Europe. Specifically, it focuses on further boosting the uptake of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) and Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolysis technology in Europe. Fully aligned with the EU policies and targets, the GRAND PIANO aims to set up:

  • The first-of-a-kind automated GW scale production line for Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Porous Transport Layers (PTL).
  • Pioneer the first worldwide commercial production of Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) PTL.
  • Manufacture a breakthrough Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA), designed to reduce iridium usage in PEM electrolyser stacks by 90%, making this technology more cost-competitive and less susceptible to supply chain disruptions.

The project will support the acceleration of renewable hydrogen deployment by enabling the manufacturing of up to 39 GW of PEM and AEM electrolyser capacity over its first ten years of operation. The project is expected to achieve up to 100% relative greenhouse gas (GHG) emission avoidance compared to the reference scenario.

GRAND PIANO innovates in both product and manufacturing processes. It will achieve this through three novel solutions:

  1. An automated production line on the GW scale of PEM PTL,
  2. Commercial production of AEM PTL and 
  3. Commercial production of Alternating Catalyst Layer Structure MEA (ACLS MEA) for PEM. 

Thanks to these combined improvements, the project can achieve notable savings on critical raw materials such as platinum and iridium. Industrial-scale production of components (PTL) and subassemblies (MEA) will reduce costs, encourage more electrolyser installations and facilitate the transition to hydrogen-based solutions. The project is expected to avoid up to 11.7 million tonnes CO2e over its first ten years of operation.

GRAND PIANO will support Europe’s climate neutrality objectives for 2050, the Net-Zero Industry Act’s aim of enhancing European manufacturing capacity and promoting industrial competitiveness, and the goals of the Critical Raw Materials Act to increase resilience and reduce dependencies on certain materials.

Located in Belgium, GRAND PIANO will engage local suppliers and stimulate economic growth and foster job opportunities. By producing cost-competitive electrolysers that are more resilient to supply chain distruptions, our project could also attract new businesses and investments in the region.