LoCEL-H2 (or Low-cost, Circular, plug & play, Off-grid Energy for remote Locations including Hydrogen) will pair advanced lead batteries with green hydrogen to deliver a new source of clean, reliable, and sustainable energy storage for off-grid communities in Africa.
Co-funded by the European Union
What is the LoCEL-H2 project?
Awarded through Horizon Europe, this collaborative, four-year project combines the expertise of lead battery manufacturers, academia, national laboratories, component manufacturers, and companies who are focused on integration, microgrids and renewables.
LoCEL-H2 will generate renewable energy, storage, and fuel for deployment in isolated and remote regions of Africa, to support communities that cannot connect to an electricity grid.
Socio-economic Studies & Impact
Specifications & Design
Installation & Maintainance
Latest posts
LoCEL Horizons Newsletter #2 – November 2023
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Latest resources
LoCEL-H2 Innovation
The LoCEL-H2 project involves partners in Europe, North Africa, North America and South Asia. Together they will:
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Using a new hydrogen energy storage technology, and next-gen recyclable lead batteries, LoCEL-H2 will provide electricity for two communities in Africa.
LoCEL-H2 will include a novel hydrogen solution for clean cooking by incorporating technology of a lead battery and an electrolyser called a battolyser.
The result of this innovative project will be a scalable microgrid system where residents will receive a consistent fuel source for energy and clean cooking.
LoCEL-H2 Consortium
LoCEL-H2 Addresses Energy Poverty
An Innovative Clean Energy Solution
Millions of people worldwide do not have consistent access to electricity and clean cooking, which is known as energy poverty. The majority of the population living in this condition is in Sub-Saharan Africa. LoCEL-H2 is developing a sustainable microgrid solution to provide 100% renewable energy from multiple solar module technologies. The system will be compatible with different types of energy storage technologies and enable power trade between multiple houses.
Improved Air Home Quality with Access to Clean Fuels
The LoCEL-H2 solution also offers sustainable clean fuels to improve the overall physical and mental health of remote communities. The battolyser, developed by LoCEL-H2, is an innovative green hydrogen technology that will power cooking and replace biomass-fuelled stoves. This shift to clean fuel will reduce chronic and acute diseases among caretakers in these households, while also decreasing the risk of acute respiratory problems for their children caused by poor indoor air quality.
Access to Information and an Impact on Education
Another benefit will result in the education levels within these communities being positively impacted. By combining lead batteries with solar power, this forward-looking energy storage project will deliver ongoing, affordable electricity to off-grid communities and become a deployable solution for other energy-deprived areas. Having access to online information through a reliable energy connection will provide a lot of opportunity for these communities to learn and receive education.
Where will LoCEL-H2 be deployed?
LoCEL-H2 will conduct two pilot programs, one located in Zambia and the other in the Ivory Coast, for approximately 30 households and businesses (per community). The energy solution focuses on both electrical as well as clean fuel energy needs and is easily expandable to any number of units based on the community needs.
This program will provide each location with a sustainable and flexible renewable energy solution for their remote community that is currently an energy isolated island and is unconnected to a reliable grid infrastructure.
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