Fossil fuels are currently the world’s primary energy source and are widely used in the mobility sector. However, fossil fuels-based transportation accounts for 20% of carbon dioxide emissions in the world, and 72,000 people die each year from NOx emissions, primarily from diesel engines. To reduce this impact, The EU has set a 60% reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions for the transport sector. This issue demands a switch to clean energy sources, such as Hydrogen (H2): a gas known to generate electricity without emissions when combined with a fuel cell (FC). Hydrogen is foreseen to be a key player in the energy transition. However, its uptake is limited by heavy regulations and the need to develop a specific supply chain. The main problem with Hydrogen Refuelling Stations (HRS) today is the need to deliver and store more than 100kg of H2 at each site to refuel fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV). In addition to this, because H2 is naturally in a gaseous state it has to be delivered and stored either in cryogenic liquid form or at high pressure (up to 700 times the atmospheric pressure). These technologies are expensive and inefficient due to losses, the hydrogen is therefore difficult and expensive to handle and with many safety hazards, implying that it must comply with extensive regulation. The handling of H2 is a deterrent for the development and mass-scale deployment of hydrogen-based solutions. HySiLabs is offering a simple, yet revolutionary solution to circumvent this issue by developing a safe and secure way to transport and deliver H2 into the market.
Therefore, HySiLabs’ solution will facilitate the uptake of fuel cell electric vehicles by removing the constraints on hydrogen logistics. This can help to reduce up to 20% of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide by reducing the use of engines running on fossil fuels.
HySiLabs identified the HRS market as the next opportunity for its development. Before entering this market, the concept required technical, commercial, and economical validations. Consequently, interviews with players and key opinion leaders in the hydrogen industry sector have been conducted and raised interest for HySiLabs innovative technology. A detailed business model and IP management strategy have been tailored to fit the needs of industrial partners. The next objective will be the dissemination of the technology through established partnerships.
