The end of June marked an important milestone for Sea4Volt. Hosted by project coordinator VTT in Espoo, Finland, the consortium meeting on 22–23 June 2026 brought partners together to reflect on the progress achieved towards Sea4Volt’s mission of developing a low-temperature AEM electrolyser for producing green hydrogen directly from seawater and strengthen collaboration across the partnership. With strong foundations now in place, the consortium is ready to set sail for the next phase of the project.
Consortium Meeting: Building on a strong first year
The first day of the meeting was dedicated to reviewing progress across all eight Sea4Volt work packages. Following updates on WP1 – Project Management by VTT and WP2 – Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication by F6S, the discussions highlighted how the different strands of the project are coming together to shape Sea4Volt’s electrolysis technology.
Fraunhofer IFAM presented progress in WP3 on advanced materials and components, followed by Gdańsk University of Technology with WP4 on scaling these innovations towards stack-level implementation. Aalto University shared updates from WP5 on catalyst poisoning and ageing mechanisms, while HYDROLITE and Stargate Hydrogen presented the latest developments in WP6 and WP7, covering the design and validation of the project’s single-cell electrolyser and stack prototype.
The day concluded with CIDAUT ‘s WP8 presentation and collaborative workshop, followed by the General Assembly, where partners reflected on the project’s progress, addressed cross-cutting challenges, and aligned priorities for the months ahead.
Sister Projects Webinar: Direct Seawater Electrolysis – From Challenges to Solutions
The second day of the consortium meeting extended the conversation beyond the meeting room as Sea4Volt joined sister projects HySEas and SWEETHY to host the joint webinar Direct Seawater Electrolysis – From Challenges to Solutions.
The webinar showcased how the three Horizon Europe projects are addressing key scientific and technological barriers to direct seawater hydrogen production. Representing Sea4Volt, Sascha Morlock (Fraunhofer IFAM) explored the challenge of balancing corrosion resistance, reaction selectivity, and system efficiency. HySEAS, represented by Dr. Yagya Regmi (Manchester Metropolitan University), together with SWEETHY speakers Olesia Danyliv (RISE Research Institutes of Sweden) and Julien Fage (CENmat), focused on another critical challenge: materials and system durability, presenting innovations in membranes, catalysts, and components designed for long-term seawater operation. The webinar concluded with a joint panel discussion moderated by Sea4Volt Project Coordinator Farhan Ali, and audience Q&A, giving participants the opportunity to engage directly with the speakers and discuss the future of direct seawater electrolysis.
Missed our webinar? You can now watch the full recording on the Sea4Volt YouTube channel: