Project description
New tank for transport of renewables
Hurray for hydrogen and other renewable fuels like liquid biomethane, nitrogen and LNG – all becoming a necessity. Hydrogen, for instance, can be produced anywhere there is water and a source of electricity. As for hydrogen-fuelled vehicles, they do not emit greenhouse gases or other pollutants. However, these fuels require significant infrastructure and transportation. For instance, cryogenic tankers with specialised drivers/operators are necessary and expensive. To facilitate transportation, the EU-funded GBG System project is developing lightweight composite tanks for collecting, transporting and storing cryogenic materials, specifically gaseous fuels. These new tankers will revolutionise the collection, distribution and storage of renewable fuels in cryogenic and gaseous forms.
Objective
The depleting reserves and the increasingly high cost of extraction are making oil difficult to access. The development and
promotion of abundant and clean alternatives such as liquid hydrogen, liquid biomethane, nitrogen (all renewable fuels) and
LNG is becoming a necessity. These gaseous fuels are among the serious options to be considered. Hydrogen, for example,
can be produced anywhere where there is water and a source of electricity. And hydrogen-fueled vehicles emit no
greenhouse gases or other pollutants. During combustion, hydrogen produces only water vapour.
However, these fuels have significant infrastructure and transport limitations. Hydrogen is currently expensive also because
is difficult to handle and store. The same applies to fuels like LNG.
The current method of transporting LNG and other gas-based fuels like hydrogen, biomethane and nitrogen, is the cryogenic
tanker. Specialised driver/operator training, and expensive equipment is required to handle these tanker—trailers and as
such, there is often limited infrastructure for them outside states with large petrochemical industries. This limited transport
infrastructure has, in turn, led to limited support infrastructure.
GGLS has developed the GBG™, lightweight composite tanks for collecting, transporting and storing cryogenic materials,
specifically gaseous fuels. These patented tanks can be used as an integral part of a system to maintain a continuous
cryogenic gas supply or as on board fuel tanks for use in road vehicles, particularly heavy trucks, coaches, buses and vans
or for rail, marine and aircraft applications.
GBG™ innovative tanks are capable of revolutionising the collection, distribution and storage at the point of use of
renewable fuels in both cryogenic and gaseous forms. Indeed, rather than transferring fuel, the GBG™ system is based on
exchanging tanks, which are more safely and securely refilled under controlled conditions.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringaircraft
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsfossil energynatural gas
- social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementbusiness models
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringair pollution engineering
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
BA8 0EW HORSINGTON TEMPLECOMBE SOMERSET
United Kingdom
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.