CNH2 receives an award from the Domingo Martínez Foundation for the «ESCALA-SOFC» project

The Spanish National Hydrogen Centre has received a runner-up award under the 2026 Research Grant from the Domingo Martínez Foundation, in the Materials area, worth €5,000, for the ESCALA-SOFC project, led by Dr Roberto Campana Prada and Dr Ángela Moratalla Tolosa.

The project, “Scaling SOFC through Configurations of Nodes with High Catalytic Activity and Stability in Internal Reforming,” aims to scale up and validate solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology for the direct conversion of renewable fuels, such as hydrogen, biogas and biomethane, into electricity and heat.

The project focuses on optimizing innovative nanofiber-based anodes with controlled exsolution of nickel nanoparticles, capable of operating stably with hydrogen as well as with biogas- and biomethane-rich mixtures, without the need for external reforming. In this context, the project will address the technological scaling challenge, making the leap from laboratory-scale results to applications closer to the market. A short stack will also be developed and validated, a system made up of several cells that will make it possible to assess joint performance under real operating conditions with different renewable fuels.

This initiative will contribute to the decarbonization of the energy sector, the efficient use of resources and the integration of the circular economy, in line with international and European commitments to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

This runner-up award from the Domingo Martínez Foundation supports CNH2’s research work in the development of advanced technologies for the energy transition and reinforces our commitment to innovation and the transfer of knowledge to industry.