INSTITUTT FOR ENERGITEKNIKK

Their core work

IFE is Norway's national energy research institute, specializing in energy storage technologies (hydrogen, batteries), carbon capture and storage, and geothermal energy. They develop and test materials for hydrogen storage using metal hydrides, advanced battery chemistries (sodium-ion, cobalt-free), and membrane technologies for CO2 capture. IFE also operates nuclear research infrastructure, contributing to decommissioning science and radioactive waste management. Their work spans from fundamental materials research through to pilot-scale demonstration, making them a bridge between laboratory science and industrial deployment.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2016–2019), IFE focused on hydrogen mobility infrastructure (metal hydrides, refuelling, compression) and advanced membrane technologies for CO2 capture — classic energy hardware R&D. From 2019 onward, their portfolio shifted decisively toward stationary energy storage (sodium-ion batteries, cobalt-free batteries, hybrid storage systems) and sustainable mineral processing, while maintaining their CCUS and nuclear decommissioning lines. The trend shows a move from transport-oriented hydrogen work toward grid-scale storage and circular economy approaches to raw materials.

IFE is positioning itself as a go-to partner for next-generation stationary energy storage (sodium, cobalt-free) with strong emphasis on safety, lifetime, and recyclability — expect them to deepen this in Horizon Europe.

How they like to work

IFE overwhelmingly operates as a specialist partner (19 of 23 projects), bringing materials science and testing capabilities to large consortia rather than leading them. With 318 unique partners across 38 countries, they maintain a very broad network rather than clustering around a few repeat collaborators. Their two coordinator roles (HYDRIDE4MOBILITY, AlSiCal) suggest they lead when the topic closely matches their core lab capabilities, but prefer to contribute expertise to bigger, multi-partner efforts.

IFE has collaborated with 318 unique partners across 38 countries, giving them one of the broader networks among Norwegian research centres. Their partnerships span from European energy majors to Mexican geothermal institutions (GEMex), indicating comfort working across cultures and regulatory contexts.

What sets them apart

IFE combines energy storage materials expertise (hydrogen, batteries) with nuclear technology capabilities — a rare combination in European research institutes. Their metal hydride work for hydrogen compression and storage is a genuine niche; few European labs can match their depth in solid-state hydrogen systems. For consortium builders, IFE brings Norwegian research credibility, hands-on materials testing infrastructure, and the ability to contribute across multiple energy vectors in a single project.

Highlights from their portfolio

• AlSiCal
  IFE's largest H2020 project (EUR 1.86M) and one of only two they coordinated — targeting zero-waste mineral processing to eliminate bauxite residue and CO2 from alumina production.
• HYDRIDE4MOBILITY
  Coordinator role on their signature topic: metal hydride hydrogen storage and compression for utility vehicles, directly showcasing IFE's core lab capability.
• SIMBA
  Represents IFE's strategic shift into sodium-ion battery technology with solid-state electrolytes — a fast-growing field where their materials expertise positions them well for future calls.