[ transport ]
Hydrogen transport technologies : the key to a global hydrogen economy
A sustainable hydrogen economy can only succeed through safe and affordable storage , transport , and distribution of hydrogen . For this purpose , several technologies are available such as gaseous hydrogen ( GH 2
), liquid hydrogen ( LH 2
), ammonia , liquid organic hydrogen carriers ( LOHCs ), and pipelines – each with their respective advantages , disadvantages , and areas of application . Compared to other storage and transport solutions , the LOHC technology based on benzyl toluene offers promising synergies for industrial off-takers and has huge benefits in terms of safety and handling .
By Dr . Peter Gless , Senior Business Development Manager , Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies
Today , and even more so in the future , many countries will depend on hydrogen imports to meet their huge demand in the energy , mobility , and industrial sectors . Green hydrogen , produced from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind , is particularly essential to drive the decarbonization of these sectors .
Unfortunately , not all countries have the capacity to produce renewable energy and green hydrogen in the quantities required , making long-distance transport even more critical to establishing a global hydrogen economy . At the same time , the properties of molecular hydrogen make it a very difficult commodity to store and transport , as it is extremely volatile and even explosive . The question of which technology can ‘ tame ’ this particular energy source and allow for its safe and cost-efficient transport and storage is of utmost importance .
Non-pipeline methods for hydrogen transport , such as in the form of GH 2
, LH 2
, ammonia or bound to an LOHC are usually easier to scale , faster to implement and more flexible when faced with challenging transport conditions , while pipelinebased transport is expected to be more costefficient in the long term , but also has unique challenges to deal with .
However , the LOHC technology based on benzyl toluene stands out among the other hydrogen transport technologies , not only in terms of safety , flexibility , and cost efficiency , but also when examining possible synergies with industrial off-takers .
Hydrogen transport with LOHC
LOHCs are organic carrier liquids that can chemically bind hydrogen ( hydrogenation ) and release it again when needed ( dehydrogenation ). Stored in the LOHC , the hydrogen can be transported much more easily and safely to its destination . After the hydrogen is released from the LOHC , the carrier material is not consumed but instead shipped back to the hydrogen production site and re-used for the next hydrogen transport .
There are several possible LOHCs , such as carbazole , toluene / methylcyclohexane ( MCH ), dibenzyl toluene or benzyl toluene . The latter has particularly positive properties as a hydrogen carrier , since it is a non-explosive , flame-retardant thermal oil with a lower hazard potential than diesel , is already well established in the industry as a heat conductor oil and is also very stable compared to other LOHCs .
LOHC based on benzyl toluene ( LOHC-BT ) does not require low temperatures or high pressure and can be
14 Hydrogen Tech World | Issue 9 | April 2023