CIDETEC Surface Engineering successfully leads the development of sustainable alternatives to platinum in the NICKEFFECT Project

The consortium coordinated by CIDETEC concludes key research replacing platinum group metals with advanced nickel coatings in strategic sectors.

The European NICKEFFECT project, coordinated by CIDETEC Surface Engineering, has successfully concluded its activities aimed at reducing Europe’s dependence on Platinum Group Metals (PGMs), which are scarce, costly, and classified as critical raw materials. The initiative has validated the viability of new nickel-based coating materials as high-performance alternatives in several sectors, such as renewable energy, electric mobility and digital technologies.

During the final General Assembly and Review Meeting with the European Commission, held in San Sebastián on 12-13th of May, the consortium assessed the technological results achieved, which directly contribute to the European Union’s strategy to strengthen its technological sovereignty.

Coating innovation for the green and digital transition

Advances in the design of these advanced nickel-based materials open up new opportunities in highly strategic industrial sectors. Specifically, the solutions developed have been successfully applied to key technologies:

• Energy production: Developing novel 100%-PGM free cathodes for water electrolysis achieving at least 50% reduction in membrane electrode assembly cost.
• Energy conversion: Proven industrial viability of PEM fuel cell demonstrator operating with low- to ultra-low Pt loadings on the cathode achieved by electrodeposition.
• Low power consumption data storage: Fabrication of next-generation Pt-free Magnetic Random-Access Memory device (MRAM) reaching the performance of the benchmark systems.

The results of NICKEFFECT mark a milestone in sustainable materials research. Although the project’s execution phase has concluded, the developed solutions and innovations establish a solid foundation that will continue to generate long-term impact, paving the way for future technological developments and new industrial partnerships within the European framework.