Gaznat and EPFL unveil the seven projects selected as part of the Gaznat-EPFL research program
The scientific committee of the Gaznat-EPFL research program has announced the projects selected for funding in the "Explore" and "Seed" categories. Through this program, Gaznat reaffirms its commitment to achieving the carbon neutrality targets set by the Swiss Confederation for 2050.
The framework agreement signed in 2024 strengthens the strategic collaboration between Gaznat and EPFL in the field of energy innovation by supporting three calls for projects. With a budget of CHF 5 million, this program will run for seven years, with projects launched between 2025 and 2027.
The first call for projects, launched in the summer of 2025, generated considerable interest within the scientific community, with more than thirty applications submitted. All projects were reviewed by the scientific committee, composed of four members from Gaznat and four members from EPFL. The selected projects will begin shortly, with potential trials at Gaznat's Innovation Lab, winner of the 2026 Watt d'Or award presented by the SFOE in the "energy technologies" category.
Selected projects – "Explore" category
These projects, open to professors and teaching and research professors (MRPs), aim to develop prototypes that can be deployed in practice within the Innovation Lab. With an initial technology readiness level (TRL) of 4 or higher, they have the potential to reach TRL levels 6 to 9. They are deployed over a period of three to four years and receive funding of between CHF 300,000 and CHF 500,000 from Gaznat.
The two projects selected in this category are:
- "Adsorbents with improved stability for industrial carbon capture," Professor Wendy Queen, Functional Inorganic Materials Laboratory (LFIM)
- "Design and prototype of a 30 kWe, 30 bar anion exchange membrane electrolyzer," Dr. Jan Van Herle, Energy Materials Group – GEM
Selected projects – "Seed" category
These projects are open to all EPFL members, including professors, senior scientists, postdoctoral researchers, and doctoral students. These projects, lasting between six months and one year, are funded by Gaznat to the tune of CHF 100,000 each. They have a TRL of less than 4 and correspond to projects in the initial phase with the potential to evolve towards more advanced TRLs.
The five projects selected in this category are:
- "Scalable technique for modifying pore size distribution to improve carbon capture performance," Professor Agrawal Kumar Varoon, Advanced Separation Laboratory (LAS)
- "TowardsCO2-neutral hydrogen: MOF-based photocatalysts for brine and seawater feedstocks," Dr. Ebrahim Fatmah Mish, Molecular Simulation Laboratory (LSMO)
- "Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA)O2/N2 for oxygen combustion in a hybrid solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)-gas turbine (GT) system," Dr. Jan van der Herle, Mr. Romain Jordan, Mr. Martin Gay
- "Development of an oxygen-tolerant biomethanization process for a Power-To-Gas facility," Prof. Wenyu Gu, Microbial Physiology and Resource Recovery Laboratory (MICROBE)
- "Bioelectrolysis stack for the production of biomethane from whey andCO2," Dr. Cédric Frantz, Dr. Jan Van Herle
Upcoming calls for projects
The next calls for projects will be launched in 2026 and 2027. For more information, visit the EPFL website: Gaznat-EPFL Research Program
Gaznat, a major player in innovation
This collaboration with EPFL, which is both unprecedented and long-term, positions Gaznat as a major player in innovation in the gas industry, particularly in the fields of synthetic gas and hydrogen production, carbon capture and storage, energy storage, and the optimized management of a high-pressure transport network that is efficient in terms of both infrastructure and operation, with the support of artificial intelligence. Gaznat therefore intends to continue and strengthen its cutting-edge innovation momentum, in close collaboration with academia and startups.
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