The PeCATHS project is pleased to welcome a new partner: METU Center for Solar Energy Research and Applications (ODTÜ Güneş Enerjisi Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezi, ODTÜ-GÜNAM), based in Ankara, Türkiye, joining the project through the Horizon Europe Hop-On Facility mechanism.

ODTÜ-GÜNAM is a leading solar energy research and innovation center in Türkiye, advancing next-generation photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies for industrial deployment. With more than 120 personnel and a strong multidisciplinary foundation, the center delivers impactful outcomes through over 100 projects spanning EU, national, and industry collaborations. Its portfolio covers advanced solar cells and modules, thermal systems, power electronics, testing and characterisation, and sustainability solutions. ODTÜ-GÜNAM contributes to a competitive, resilient, and innovation-driven solar ecosystem aligned with Europe’s energy transition goals.

Within PeCATHS, ODTÜ-GÜNAM contributes through ODAK, its Concentrated Solar Thermal Technologies division, one of seven science and technology divisions at GÜNAM. ODAK focuses on concentrated solar thermal energy, solar heat for industrial processes, thermal energy storage, materials research, and solar fuels. 

ODAK’s involvement in PeCATHS is anchored in a dedicated new work package: Scaled Operation under Continuous Flow and Full Process Design. This work package, led by GÜNAM, will be conducted under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Dr Onur Taylan, Asst. Prof. Dr. Doruk Doğu, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gökhan Çelik, and Asst. Prof. Dr Necip B. Üner from Middle East Technical University (METU) and Atilim University, both in Ankara. 

The team’s activities will focus on transitioning the photoelectrocatalytic reactor from laboratory scale to a more advanced configuration capable of continuous-flow operation. Contributions will span CFD modelling, thermal management, mass transfer analysis, reaction kinetics, experimental validation, and integrated process design, combining computational and experimental approaches to bridge reaction engineering and downstream processing. These activities will directly reinforce PeCATHS’ scale-up potential, supporting the project’s objective of delivering efficient and sustainable solutions for hydrogen storage using liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC) and biomass valorisation.

The incorporation of ODTÜ-GÜNAM strengthens the consortium’s capacity to move from proof-of-concept devices toward larger-scale, industrially relevant systems and marks an important milestone in PeCATHS’ journey from fundamental science to sustainable impact. 

PeCATHS Consortium