Every known method of shipping hydrogen (H2) has its drawbacks: i) Compressed H2 has very low energy density by volume, ii) Liquid H2 requires storage at temperatures of -253°C, iii) Ammonia as well as methanol (which can be decomposed/ cracked over a catalyst to produce H2) have higher volumetric energy density, but the former is extremely toxic & the latter costly to produce, iv) Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHC) (from fossil fuels) require (energy-intensive) high-temperatures to release the H2 (upon delivery). So, what if there was a way of storing hydrogen in a low-cost, non-toxic, non-explosive substance, that is a liquid at ambient temperatures & pressures and requires no energy – only the addition of water – to release (the stored) H2? Well, France-based HySiLabs believes it has found a method! The startup is developing a unique process for “locking” hydrogen molecules into a silica-based liquid carrier it calls “HydroSil” – which can store 7x more hydrogen by volume than Compressed H2 & release it when required. Crucially, while energy is required to lock the hydrogen in HydroSil, no energy (only water) is required to release it (a major difference with LOHC). The chemical process is backed by 70 patents. HySiLabs, was founded in 2015 by Pierre-Emmanuel Casanova (CBO) & Vincent Lôme (CSO), & headed today by Corine Dubruel (CEO). The firm is already working on several industrial pilots, including H2A with the Port of Amsterdam (for storing hydrogen at an industrial scale) & QualifHY with Helion Hydrogen Power (a subsidiary of Alstom) (to couple of the HySiLabs solution with fuel cells). Moreover, HySiLabs recently signed an MoU with Vinci Geostock to test underground storage of hydrogen. The new funds will be used to continue developing tech before a mass-market roll-out in 2027 as follows: testing a 15kW “release reactor” this year, a HydroSil-powered boat in 2024, charging & release pilots in 2025 (handling 10 tons of hydrogen annually) & a “1,000x bigger charge & release” plant in 2027. Honorable mention goes to the fact that HySiLabs was selected as a French Tech Green20 startups & was one the winners of the French CEO of the Year Award by EU Business News in 2022. <Source: solarpaces.org, hydrogen-central.com, greencarcongress.com, lejournaldesentreprises.com>
