Imagine a refrigerator that uses magnets instead of chemical gases to cool things down. This project uses that trick to turn hydrogen gas into a liquid much more efficiently than current methods. It's like moving from a bulky, power-hungry old freezer to a smart, high-efficiency cooling system that can be placed right where the hydrogen is made.
Industrial hydrogen liquefaction is currently too energy-intensive (10-15 kWh/kg) and expensive for small-scale, local production. This forces a reliance on expensive long-distance transport and high-pressure storage tanks.
A high-performance magnetocaloric hydrogen liquefier prototype capable of processing 100 kg/day and a boil-off management system for storage tanks.
If you are a renewable energy plant operator dealing with high costs of transporting hydrogen gas — this project developed a magnetic liquefier that allows for local production of liquid hydrogen. This reduces the need for long-distance transport via truck or rail and targets a liquefaction cost of <1.5 €/kg.
If you are a tank manufacturer dealing with high pressure build-up and boil-off losses during transport — this project developed a boil-off management system. This allows tanks to withstand pressures of only 1-2 bar, potentially leading to large savings in manufacturing costs.
If you are an infrastructure provider dealing with the high energy cost of liquid hydrogen (10-15 kWh/kg) — this project developed a prototype that targets 8 kWh/kg. This increases energy efficiency by over 20% for small volumes under 5 tonnes per day.
The project targets a liquefaction cost of less than 1.5 €/kg. Based on available project data, it also aims to reduce CAPEX and OPEX by at least 20%.
Yes, the project is moving from a capacity of <1 kg/day to a prototype of 100 kg/day. The objective is to demonstrate that the technology can scale up to flowrates above 100 tonnes per day.
Based on available project data, the project is currently in the research and innovation phase (RIA) moving from TRL 3 to TRL 5; specific licensing terms are not provided.
The technology is designed to be integrated into conventional liquefaction plants to increase their overall energy efficiency.
The project period runs from 2023-01-01 to 2027-12-31, with the goal of reaching TRL 5 by the end of the project.
The consortium is well-balanced for commercialization, featuring 14 partners across 9 countries. With an industry ratio of 43% (6 industrial partners, including 2 SMEs), the project ensures that the transition from TRL 3 to TRL 5 is guided by market needs rather than just academic research.
Contact INSTITUTT FOR ENERGITEKNIKK STI in Norway
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