HYdroxide Salt Energy Storage Innovation

Project Information

HYSE

Grant agreement ID: 101160790

DOI

10.3030/101160790

Project closed

EC signature date 20 June 2024

Start date 1 April 2024

End date 31 December 2025

Funded under

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Total cost

€ 3 798 250,00

EU contribution

€ 2 499 999,00

Coordinated by

HYME STORAGE APS
Denmark

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - HYSE (HYdroxide Salt Energy Storage Innovation)

Reporting period: 2025-02-01 to 2025-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Hyme is a Danish SME established in 2021, dedicated to revolutionizing large-scale energy storage by developing a Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system that stores energy in the form of high-temperature heat in molten salt. This solution can contribute to the decarbonization of energy-intensive industries (EII) and cogeneration utility companies – Combined Heat and Power plants (CHP), producing heat and electricity from a single energy source with a TES system that is affordable, Compact, Scalable, and Sustainable.

The goal for the project (EIC-HYSE (HYdroxide Salt Energy Storage Innovation)) is to establish a cost-efficient, scalable, compact, safe, and sustainable TES system. Our activities focus on achieving a 70% total installed cost (TIC) reduction through technology development, maturation, material selection, and component design optimization. We will screen and qualify materials that can aid in corrosion control and increase the system’s lifetime by optimizing

1) corrosion control methods by combining oxoacidity and redox potential control,

2) hydroxide salt mixtures,

3) engineering design parameters, and

4) operational efficiency.

In addition, our activities focus on improving physical sensors and developing feedback mechanisms and empirical models for advanced control systems, remote monitoring, and predictive maintenance. Through industrializing the oxoacidity sensors, we will deliver mechanical, electrical, and instrument engineering designs for mass production.

Also, we are looking into market preparation which includes a systematic market overview focused on opportunities/competition analysis, IPR protection, and continuous dissemination and communication activities with different stakeholders, KOLs, customers, and the public.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Update on the period March 2025 – May 2025 - the work performed, and the main achievements includes:
The successful completion of several deliverables related to work-package 3 and 4.
Specifically the period saw the completion of
D3.1 Report on strategy for cost reduction via material selection
D3.2 Report on effects of improved corrosion control on materials
D3.3 Database on precision data on termophysical properties of hydroxide salts
D4.1 Design of industrial chemistry sensor in high-temperature hydroxide salts

Commercially Hyme managed to continue to progress the first commercial project with ARLA and sucesfully submitted an application to the EU Innovation Fund in April for support to the project. A major achievement including significant updates to a range of documents and work related to progressing the project including design-, legal-, cost-estimation, and permitting work.

For the period April 2024 – February 2025 the work performed, and the main achievements includes:

• Based on the objectives of EIC HYSE, activities have been planned and the project has been implemented in the financial budget and in the allocation of resources for 2024 and 2025. Relevant dimensions have been created in our ERP system to ensure external costs are registered on each relevant work package. Time registration has been established to ensure timely registration of hours and approvals in accordance with EU horizon guidelines. Project leads has been assigned and a plan has been established for regular follow up between registered cost and budget cost (both hours and external cost) and for regular follow up on deadlines, deliverables, objectives, and tasks.

• Risks has been evaluated on an ongoing basis.

• Our IP strategy has been updated and implemented. A core patent has been transferred from sister company and filings according to IP strategy has been made.

• Hyme has hired two new part-time employees for communication and dissemination. They have developed a new brand and communication strategy (high-level) and a detailed work plan for the rest of 2024. This includes a new way of engaging on LinkedIn, a webpage update to target first and largest markets only (and the relevant stakeholders therein) and unfolding our brand identity graphically as well as in our tone-of-voice etc. Ongoing communication on LinkedIn and website and related to press releases (e.g. without Semco collaboration) is also part of the work. Content development is being done broadly in the team as this is coupled to our work in business model development, market research etc.

• Hyme has completed a more thorough competitor analysis. We have also updated our pitch deck as part of preparing our new fundraise round. We are continually building out pipeline but slowing down and instead spending time on building our ability to progress cases in-depth when having moved through the first stages of the funnel. We have analysed and selected beachhead markets as well.

• TES system component development and cost optimization has been kicked off well in the reporting period and first results in the larger campaign have already been characterised. Specifically, the work on long-duration exposure (200-1000 hours) of materials in a dynamic molten salt has been successfully concluded as has new tests related to optimised corrosion control methods. The work with external partners has also given first results - on Tasks 3.3 the first results are in from the measurements of mixtures of NaOH and KOH and learnings have been integrated in the follow up campaign. The results have confirmed the mixture of NaOH and KoH to be within 7% of the theoretical predicted thermophysical properties enabling the use of the mixed salt in coming plants. The impact on components of the salt switch is an ongoing assessment but first results will be uploaded with march deliverables.

Likewise key partnerships with Alfa Laval Technologies and Flowserve Control Valves have been set up in 2024 1H feeding into the work in Task 3.5. Setup and installation of planned equipment and lab and prototype facility setups has also progressed well in the period. A major campaign on corrosion of various alloys under redox control in the mix salt was kicked off in 2025 and will complement the measurements performed in 2024 on various alloys under oxoacidity and redox control respectively.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The in-house measurements of long-duration exposure of materials in molten hydroxides under dynamic conditions at high temperature is to our knowledge unique in the world and represents key IP.

The knowledge around measurements and understanding of corrosion on hydroxide salts at industry scale let to the submission of another patent in the period - Hyme’s third patent application HYME-03 is on an innovative design of an insertible and replaceable sensor design.

The thermophysical data on mixtures of Hydroxide salts at high-temperature did not exist prior to this project and data has now been sucessfully achieved.