Hydrogen Storage and Transport

Generally, the magnesium-based alloy rapidly absorbs hydrogen at temperatures above 200 ℃ and hydrogen pressure of 0.2 MPa or higher. When the hydrogen concentration in the magnesium lattice reaches saturation, a phase transition from magnesium (Mg) into magnesium hydride (MgH₂) occurs. At temperatures ranging from 300-380 ℃ and low hydrogen pressure (0.1-0.6 MPa), MgH₂ decomposes back into magnesium (Mg) and hydrogen (H₂).

Among various hydrogen storage alloys, magnesium alloys stand out for their high hydrogen storage density, safety, and affordability. However, their high decomposition temperature and slow hydrogenation-dehydrogenation kinetics have limited their widespread use as ideal hydrogen storage materials.

To overcome these limitations, we successfully synthesized Mg@Transition Metal (Mg@TM), an innovative nano/micro sized magnesium-based alloy with a designed core-shell structure. Mg@TM is shown to have improved the hydrogenation-dehydrogenation properties, through the catalytic effect of the transition metal. Additionally, we have increased the volume density of Mg@TM by compressing the porous powder, and its cyclic stability is enhanced by making use of the stress generated by the volume expansion of the porous structure of the bulk material during the hydrogen storage process.

We produce Mg@TM by employing standard casting equipment, with fine-tuned processing techniques that increase the surface area of magnesium alloy particles, thereby enhancing its hydrogen storage properties. Notably, these techniques are economically advantageous compared to the conventional ball milling process for producing metal alloys, which is more expensive, energy consumption, and less scalable.

Furthermore, we have engineered a heat exchange system that moderates the thermal dynamics of the hydrogenation-dehydrogenation processes of Mg@TM materials. This system safeguards the steady hydrogen storage and release while reducing energy consumption through effectively recycling the heat generated during the reaction.

Conventional Industry Approaches

The storage and transport of hydrogen pose significant challenges owing to its voluminous nature at standard atmospheric pressure, its flammability, and an exceedingly low boiling point. At present, the industry predominantly relies on methods such as compressed hydrogen gas, cryogenic fluids, and organic liquid to facilitate the storage and transport of hydrogen.

Common industry conventional methods
for hydrogen storage and transportation

In general, conventional hydrogen storage methods suffer leakage or boil-off losses during the transit, leading to additional energy losses and raising safety concerns about potential explosions or other hazardous incidents. The transport distance and conditions are also constrained, ruling out the feasibility of rail transport. To circumvent these storage and transport challenges, hydrogen production is mostly positioned at the point of use, which significantly limits the broader industrial application of hydrogen.

Characteristics of Mg-based Solid-state Hydrogen Technology

Our proprietary technology fundamentally transforms the paradigm for hydrogen storage and transport, offering a solution that outperforms conventional industry approaches in safety, storage density, ease of use, sustainability, and cost effectiveness. Our innovative technology is designed to mitigate the limitations of the above-mentioned conventional hydrogen storage methods. Through harnessing the properties of magnesium-based alloys, our proprietary storage and transport technology boasts the following benefits:

Enhanced safety

The non-flammable and non-explosive properties of magnesium-based hydride allow for its transport at ambient pressure and temperature without leakage or evaporation concerns. This very nature ensures secure hydrogen storage and transport, even in densely populated areas.

Higher density

With a high volumetric and gravimetric density, magnesium-based hydride enables the storage of larger volumes of hydrogen in reduced space, leading to lower storage and transport costs compared to high-pressure gaseous or liquid storage alternatives.

Convenience of transport

Magnesium-based hydride storage facilitates flexible and unrestricted transport via truck, rail, or ship, allowing for immediate transport in urban or rural areas without the necessity for additional infrastructure.

Higher purity

Our storage technology can effectively eliminate impurities such as carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), resulting in an improved purity level of hydrogen. The hydrogen released from Mg-based hydride meets stringent purity requirements for various industrial uses, including fuel cell applications.

Improved sustainability

Our proprietary magnesium-based alloy is reusable, and its materials are highly recyclable.

Increased duration

The solid-state magnesium-based hydride can store hydrogen for longer durations compared to high-pressure gaseous or liquid storage alternatives, which are prone to leakage and boil-off.

Abundant and affordable raw materials

Magnesium, the primary raw material used for our technology, is both plentiful and cost-effective. Its widespread availability, coupled with the straightforward absorption and desorption process, makes our technology more economical.

Hydrogen Storage and Transport Solutions

By harnessing our proprietary magnesium-based solid-state hydrogen storage technology, we provide customers worldwide with cost-efficient and secure hydrogen storage and transport solutions. According to Frost & Sullivan, we are the first company globally to roll out and commercialize magnesium-based solid-state hydrogen storage and transport solutions.

Magnesium-based Solid-state Hydrogen Storage Container (MHX)

Our proprietary magnesium-based solid-state hydrogen storage containers, or MHXes, are purpose-built to offer high hydrogen storage capacity and cost-effective delivery by road, railway, or water. These MHXes, constructed using our unique magnesium-based alloys, can effectively absorb and release hydrogen through hydrogenation and dehydrogenation processes, under certain pressure and temperature conditions. Our MHX is a 20-foot ISO container, with the delivery capacity of up to 1.0 ton of hydrogen per trip. Our MHXes are designed for seamless compatibility with industry-standard trucks, enhancing their practicality and ease of use.

Key Technical Parameters of MHX

Product

Ton-level magnesium-based solid-state hydrogen storage container(MHX)

Dimension

20ft

Rated hydrogen storage capacity

1.0t

Gravimetric density

6.4wt%

Volumetric density

57.8kg/m

Magnesium alloy loaded per container

15.6t

Design temp.

-40℃ to 390℃

Max. working pressure

1.2 MPa

Max. hydrogen charging rate

108 kg/h

Max. hydrogen discharging rate

96 kg/h

Cycle life

>4000 times

Economic transport radius

100~500km

Transport mode

Truck, ship & train

Compared to conventional tube containers used for transporting compressed gaseous or liquid hydrogen, our
MHXes offer the following significant advantages:

Enhanced safety

While conventional tube containers pose considerable safety risks due to potential hydrogen leakage and potential explosions during transit, our magnesium-based hydride stands as a non-flammable and non-explosive solid material, rendering our MHXes exceptionally safe for long-distance transport and use in urban or densely populated areas.

Larger storage capacity

Our standard 20-foot MHXes can carry up to 1 ton of hydrogen in a single trip, which is three to five times the capacity of conventional tube containers, leading to reduced logistics costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

Higher hydrogen purity

The hydrogen released from our MHXes reaches an ultra-purity of 99.999%, immediately usable in fuel cells and various other applications.

Easy transport

Our MHXes are versatile and adaptable for transport via truck, rail, or ship. Their modular design also allows for easy scaling to meet the needs of diverse applications.

Reduced delivery cost

Our MHXes ensure higher cost-effectiveness compared to conventional tube containers, significantly reducing the total cost of hydrogen delivery .

Prolonged lifespan

Our MHXes can function for 4,000 cycles, or approximately 20~25 years, without performance reduction under lab conditions.

Simplified infrastructure requirement

Unlike conventional tube containers that necessitate the use of expensive and maintenance-intensive compressors at hydrogen refueling stations, our MHXes operate at near ambient pressure and temperature with a maximum charging rate of 108kg/h and a maximum discharging rate of 96kg/h. This eliminates the need for costly compressors and their associated maintenance expenses, streamlining the refilling station infrastructure and resulting in more cost-efficient operations.

Higher residual value

Given that the magnesium alloy is highly recyclable, our MHXes retain a substantial residual value at the end of their service life, further reducing costs for our customers.

Compliance

Compliance with American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) BPVC Sec. VIII Div. 1, IMDG, CSC, CCC.

Industrial Applications of Our Solutions

Conventional hydrogen transport methods, whether gaseous or liquid, are usually limited to local or regional distribution. When traveling over a distance of over 100 kilometers, there is a notable uptick in both costs and safety concerns. These challenges have limited the applications of hydrogen in broader industrial contexts. Building on our innovative technology, our solutions provide a safe and cost-effective option for long-distance, high-capacity hydrogen transport, filling a long-standing gap in the market. By significantly extending the geographic area of hydrogen delivery, we are poised to connect hydrogen supply with demands across disparate regions, facilitating a more widespread industrial adoption of hydrogen.

On the hydrogen storage side, our magnesium-based solid-state solutions help enhance the sustainability and resilience in energy infrastructure and have vast potential in various industrial scenarios, including but not limited to photovoltaic energy storage, ocean energy storage, power generation, green ammonia production, green steel manufacturing, and hydrogen refueling stations, significantly contributing to process of decarbonization.

Use Case

We became the first company to have commercialized our magnesium-based solid-state hydrogen storage and transport technology in the industry in 2023, three months after it was rolled out to the market. Our customer is a major gas company based in Shanghai, China with high demand for hydrogen storage and transport. The customer had been operating its business to supply hydrogen to the Yantz Delta region using conventional tube trailers. To enhance its operation efficiency, the customer opted to adopt our mg-based solid-state storage and transport solution as an alternative.

Customer pain points

Highly constrained by transportation environments and paths.

Tube pressure can only be maintained at around 20MPa during transportation, causing serious safety concerns.

The handicap of low transportation efficiency and high cost results in need for more vehicles and drivers, hence increasing transportation and management costs.

Transportation radius is usually limited to under 150 kilometers due to economic concerns.

Hydrogen refueling stations need to be equipped with compressors, bearing higher consumption of energy.

Our solution

Through in-depth research and close interactions with our customer, we came up with a comprehensive solution aimed at effectively addressing the issues our customer was confronted with. Our solution provided a configuration of one hydrogen charging spot, two MHXes, along with trial operation of one hydrogen discharging spot.

Our solution also provided the services of design, equipment supply, installation and debugging for both hydrogen charging and discharging spots to ensure stable and smooth assembly and operation. The maximum absorption rate at the hydrogen charging spot was set at 108kg/h, while the maximum desorption rate at the hydrogen discharging spot was placed at 96kg/h.

Meanwhile, we deployed a monitoring and maintenance system to collect and analyze data relating to temperature, pressure, and flow outside the MHXes, achieving real-time monitoring and adjustment of hydrogen absorption and desorption process. The system was also able to provide dynamic monitoring of the transportation vehicle as well as the status of both hydrogen charging and discharging spots to ensure safety, stability, and efficiency.

The end results

The combination of hydrogen with magnesium alloy material yields stable compounds that ensures high stability for hydrogen transport. Hydrogen transport using our Mg-based solid-state hydrogen storage container is practically not constrained by any transport environments and paths.

Transport of Hydrogen can be kept at normal temperature and normal pressure, causing no safety concerns.

The hydrogen transport capacity of a single trailer was increased 3 to 4 times, enabling higher operation efficiency and reduction of overall cost compared with conventional tube trailer.

No need to allocate additional supercharging equipment, ensuring higher operation efficiency.

The adoption of our customized solution to use mg-based solid-state container for hydrogen transport effectively elevated the market competitiveness of our customer in the field of hydrogen transport. While it significantly helped enhance transport safety, it also contributed to a substantial reduction of overall operation cost. Meanwhile, it enabled the customer to explore business opportunities in hydrogen supply markets beyond 200 kilometers.