Enschede, 9 July 2025 – The DELYCIOUS project consortium came together at the picturesque campus of the University of Twente for its first plenary meeting and General Assembly since the project’s official launch in January 2025. The gathering marked a significant checkpoint for the project’s momentum, showcasing strong technical progress, coordination, and communication across all work packages.
Key Technical Progress Highlights
On Electrolysis Technology Lab-scale Validation (WP2 – Lead: University of Twente)
A strong base has been laid towards the lab-scale validation of the monitoring and diagnostic tools currently in development for three electrolysis technologies. A harmonized test protocol (Deliverable 2.1), publicly available, has been developed to guide the assessment of critical factors affecting the performance degradation of electrolysis cells and stacks. This protocol integrates operational concepts and the use of the advanced monitoring tools that generate data for cell/stack lifetime and state-of-health assessments through the algorithms.
The Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) device from SIVONIC GmbH was successfully installed on the lab-scale AEL test rig. While the impedance spectra were acquired within a functional test of the EIS device in operational conditions, the full suite of tests, combining both Raman spectroscopy and EIS, is scheduled to commence at the end of the year.
On Hardware Development and Lab-Scale Integration (WP3 – Lead: HORIBA)
HORIBA has defined the requirements and boundary conditions for a Raman device, resulting in the development of an Inline Multi-Probe Raman Gas Analyzer. This device uses a Raman spectrometer connected to four probes that can be directly installed on the cell/stack downstream pipes to provide real-time gas composition analysis (a short public summary captures the findings).
Regarding SIVONIC’s EIS lab-scale device, as mentioned in the WP2, the seamless installation and proof of functionality were executed successfully and the results publicly available (deliverable 3.6).
On Algorithms – (WP5 – Lead: Air Liquide)
Air Liquide Innovation Campus Frankfurt initiated the development of a flexible pre-processing algorithm to automatize the raw data evaluation from the different test-rigs using sub-sets made available by the consortium partners.
University of Twente identified the key descriptors and associated mathematical expressions to integrate in the 1-D physical models of the cell/stack for the three electrolysis technologies under examination. Given the interconnection with other work packages, collaboration remains strong in defining interfaces across EIS, Raman, and software integration to ensure coherence and effectiveness.
On Software Integration (WP7 – Lead: Dumarey)
In preparation for the first major software deliverable—Electrolyser Management System’s (EMS) Architecture Design—key partners (Dumarey, HORIBA, and Fraunhofer IWES) have held internal coordination meetings. These discussions clarified the sensor data format to be extracted from the SCADA system, ensuring compatibility with Fraunhofer’s large-scale test rig.
Ongoing work is focused on designing the EMS software architecture, and developing the communication protocols to facilitate data acquisition and integration across components.
Project Management and Coordination
The meeting concluded with a General Assembly, where all partners confirmed that their respective work packages are on track.
The project’s first milestone—availability of the EIS device for lab-scale validation—has been met at month 3 (March 2025), confirming readiness for implementation within WP2. Verification was completed through Deliverable 3.5 from SIVONIC.
Communication and Dissemination
In addition to technical work, the consortium emphasized the importance of strategic communication and dissemination. The initial Dissemination, Exploitation, and Communication Plan has been submitted earlier as a sensitive deliverable. It outlines stakeholder mapping, key messages, and a roadmap for disseminating results to partners and third parties. The plan also addresses the project’s broader contribution to societal challenges and the uptake of key exploitable results.
A visual identity has been established for the project and is publicly available. The official DELYCIOUS project website is now live, offering timely updates and access to publications. A dedicated LinkedIn page is also in place to engage with stakeholders, share news, and build visibility within the research and industrial communities.
Field Visit to SEED Laboratory, University of Twente
The day concluded with an insightful field visit to the Sustainable Electrochemical Engineering and Digitalisation (SEED) Laboratory at the University of Twente, where project partners gained valuable insight into the advanced infrastructure supporting the technical aspects of the DELYCIOUS project. The visit aimed to show partners the laboratory environment where the Solid Oxide Electrolysis (SOEL) tests for DELYCIOUS will be conducted. During the tour, participants observed the SOEL test rigs and explored the process behind fabricating and characterizing SOEL cells. Although not used in the project, the in-house fabricated SOEL cells offered useful context. Just as important, partners were also introduced to the commercial SOEL cells that will be implemented in DELYCIOUS. In general, the visit provided a clear overview of the experimental setup and testing procedures, reinforcing the technical feasibility of upcoming project tasks and strengthen collaboration between technical teams.
Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:
The project is supported by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership and its members under the GA 101192075. Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Clean Hydrogen Partnership. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. The project will run until the end of 2027.