Hydrogen can play a key role in a zero-emission energy system, both for heavy transport and for storing renewable energy. But storing hydrogen is difficult and expensive. Today it is stored either at very high pressure or as a liquid at -253 °C. Cooling hydrogen into liquid form uses almost 30% of the energy it contains. There are also no good solutions for large, stationary storage, for example at refuelling stations.
The project was started to find a simpler and cheaper solution. The idea is to store hydrogen in porous materials called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). These work like a sponge that soaks up hydrogen. The problem is that today’s MOFs only work well at very low temperatures. The goal is to find materials that store a lot of hydrogen between -5 °C and 20 °C, and that can be made in an environmentally friendly way.
The project uses machine learning and computer models to find the best materials. Partners in France and Italy then make and test them in their laboratories. The partner in Spain assesses the environmental and social impact throughout the project.
SINTEF leads the project and designs the storage tank itself. The tank is designed as a “thermal metamaterial”: computer models optimise its materials and shape, so that the tank itself helps keep the right temperature when hydrogen is filled and emptied. SINTEF also contributes to an engineering study and cost analysis of a 1,000 kg hydrogen storage unit at a refuelling station. SINTEF’s work is mainly modelling and simulation and does not involve its own field trials.