WASTE2H2 Project

WASTE2H2

Plastic waste valorization to clean H2 and decarbonized chemicals by catalytic deconstruction with novel ionic liquid-based catalytic systems

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About the project

WASTE2H2´s project aims to develop a disruptive technology that combines innovative catalytic systems based on ionic liquids with microwave irradiation. This technology could be a cornerstone for the selective generation of clean, high-purity hydrogen as well as valuable decarbonized chemicals.

WASTE2H2 will face the two important challenges affecting in short-term our society, next generations, and the planet earth sustainability: the smart management of the huge amount of plastic waste yearly produced and decarbonization by the generation of efficient, low-cost, sustainable, and clean energy and decarbonized valuable materials.

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Plastic Waste Management

Catalysis

Clean Energy-Decarbonized materials

Sustainability

Consortium

WASTE2H2 project, led by CIC energiGUNE, brings together a strong consortium of 5 European partners to offer future‑oriented and applied solutions from basic research, concerning computational science, materials synthesis, catalysis, engineering and automatization tools as well as prototype testing, to market evaluation of the solution and final products.

CIC energiGUNE
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Timeline

  1. December 2024
  2. October 2025
  3. February 2026
  4. October 2026
  5. June 2027
  6. January 2028
  1. 31/12/2024

    Pre-selection of ILs cation/anion structures that could fulfill required features

  2. 30/10/2025

    Ionic liquids candidates with required defined properties obtained by experimental and computational tools.

  3. 28/02/2026

    Digital model developed to evaluate the scope WASTE2H2 solution.

  4. 30/10/2026

    Protocol for the preparation and characterization of the WASTE2H2 innovative Ionic Liquid-based catalytic systems stablished.

  5. 30/06/2027

    WASTE2H2 proof of concept for the catalytic cracking of polyolefinic plastic waste demonstrated under batch conditions.

  6. 31/01/2028

    WASTE2H2 technology developed at TRL4 under continuous-flow conditions: validation and scope.

News / Events

Keep up to date with all the news and events related to the WASTE2H2 project.

11 September 2025

WASTE2H2 establishes an Advisory Board with leading companies to boost the transformation of plastic waste in clean hydrogen

Moeve, Nalón Innova, Urbaser and Thales Group will join the new Advisory Board of the European project WASTE2H2, led by CIC energiGUNE and funded by the European Commission’s EIC Pathfinder Open programme. The initiative aims to convert plastic waste into clean hydrogen and net-zero materials.
14 August 2025

Behind the WASTE2H2 Project #2 | Ander Centeno (CIC energiGUNE)

Plastic waste is one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time — but what if we could transform it into a valuable energy source? That’s the ambition driving the WASTE2H2 project: converting plastic waste into clean hydrogen through innovative catalytic and microwave-assisted processes.

Through this interview series, we aim to explore the personal insights of the researchers involved in WASTE2H2, their multidisciplinary contributions, and how their work is shaping the future of sustainable hydrogen production from waste.

In this second episode, we speak with Ander Centeno from CIC energiGUNE, who explains how evaluating the stability of ionic liquids and catalytic systems is key to identifying the most effective solutions for converting plastic waste into hydrogen.
24 July 2025

Behind the WASTE2H2 Project #1 | Jian Xian Lian (CIC energiGUNE)

Plastic waste is one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time — but what if we could transform it into a valuable energy source? That’s the ambition driving the WASTE2H2 project: converting plastic waste into clean hydrogen through innovative catalytic and microwave-assisted processes.

Through this interview series, we aim to explore the personal insights of the researchers involved in WASTE2H2, their multidisciplinary contributions, and how their work is shaping the future of sustainable hydrogen production from waste.

In this first episode, we speak with Jian Xian Lian from CIC energiGUNE, who shares how advanced molecular modelling is accelerating the selection of ionic liquids, making the process faster, smarter, and more cost-effective.
News / Events

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