LESGO · Project

Graphene-Based Energy Storage That Beats Hydrogen Gas by 100x in Density

energyPrototypeTRL 4Thin data (2/5)

Imagine storing solar energy not in bulky batteries or pressurized hydrogen tanks, but inside thin sheets of carbon — like pencil lead that's been chemically loaded with energy. The LESGO team figured out how to attach hydrogen atoms to graphene sheets, creating a material that packs more than 100 times the energy density of hydrogen gas and can be safely stored and shipped anywhere. When you need electricity, you extract the energy from these sheets, and the leftover material goes right back to being graphite again — zero CO2, fully circular. They even tested this as a fast-charging boost for electric vehicles.

By the numbers

100x

Energy density advantage of rGO-H over hydrogen gas

95%

Share of current H2 production from hydrocarbon C-H bond breaking

CO2 emissions in the complete sunlight-to-electricity cycle

Consortium partners across 6 countries

Total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Storing and transporting renewable energy remains expensive and inefficient — hydrogen gas needs high-pressure tanks and specialized infrastructure, while batteries depend on scarce lithium and cobalt. More than 95% of hydrogen today still comes from fossil fuels, making most "clean hydrogen" anything but clean. Companies in energy, transport, and logistics need a storage medium that is safe, dense, affordable, and truly zero-emission across its entire lifecycle.

The solution

What was built

The project produced laser-synthesized nanoparticles for graphene oxide processing (confirmed deliverable) and worked toward a complete demonstration of the rGO-H energy storage cycle — from solar energy capture through chemical storage to electricity generation. CRF developed a transport-sector application testing rGO-H as fuel in a support battery for fast-charging electric vehicles.

Audience

Who needs this

EV manufacturers seeking fast-charging auxiliary power solutionsRenewable energy operators needing long-duration, transportable storageHydrogen logistics companies looking for safer, denser storage alternativesGraphene and advanced materials producers exploring energy applicationsOff-grid power providers serving remote industrial or military sites

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Electric vehicle manufacturing

enterprise

Target: EV manufacturers and battery system integrators

If you are an EV manufacturer dealing with slow charging times and range anxiety — this project developed reduced graphene oxide hydrogen storage (rGO-H) that was tested as fuel in a support battery for fast charging current electric vehicles. The material offers energy density more than 100 times larger than hydrogen gas, potentially enabling compact auxiliary power units that eliminate charging wait times.

Renewable energy storage

any

Target: Solar and wind farm operators needing grid-scale storage

If you are a renewable energy operator dealing with the unpredictability of solar and wind generation — this project developed a carbon-based energy carrier that stores surplus electricity in chemical bonds with no CO2 emissions in any step. The rGO-H material can be safely stored long-term and transported wherever electricity generation is needed, solving the intermittency problem without lithium or rare earth metals.

Industrial hydrogen and logistics

mid-size

Target: Hydrogen distributors and energy logistics companies

If you are a hydrogen logistics company dealing with the cost and danger of storing and transporting compressed or liquefied hydrogen — this project created a solid-state alternative with more than 100 times the energy density of H2 gas. The graphite-to-graphite cycle uses widely available raw materials and recovers them for multiple lives, offering a safer and denser transport medium.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would this cost compared to current hydrogen storage or lithium batteries?

The project objective states rGO-H can become an energy stock at an affordable cost, but no specific price per kWh or cost benchmarks are provided in the available data. The use of widely available raw materials (graphite) suggests potential cost advantages over rare-earth-dependent batteries. Detailed cost analysis would need to come from the consortium.

Can this scale to industrial volumes?

The project used graphite as a starting material, which is widely available and already produced at industrial scale. However, the demonstrated deliverable — a first batch of laser-synthesized nanoparticles — suggests production is still at laboratory scale. Scaling laser synthesis to industrial throughput would be a key next step.

What is the IP situation and can we license this technology?

As a publicly funded EU Research and Innovation Action with 11 partners across 6 countries, IP is likely shared among consortium members including industrial partners GRAPHENEA, HST, GENCELL, and CRF. Licensing discussions would need to go through the coordinator ICFO in Spain. Specific patent filings are not detailed in the available project data.

How does this comply with EU energy and transport regulations?

The technology produces zero CO2 emissions in the complete cycle from sunlight to electrical power, aligning with EU Green Deal targets. The transport application was developed by CRF (Centro Ricerche Fiat), suggesting automotive regulatory considerations were factored in. Specific regulatory certifications are not mentioned in available data.

What is the realistic timeline to a commercial product?

The project ran from November 2020 to April 2024 under the FET Proactive programme, which funds early-stage breakthrough research. Based on available project data, the technology demonstrated material synthesis and initial vehicle testing but would likely need 5-7 more years of engineering development before commercial deployment.

How does this integrate with existing energy or vehicle infrastructure?

The project specifically targeted integration with current electric vehicles — CRF developed an application where rGO-H serves as fuel in a support battery providing fast charging. The material can be transported using conventional logistics since it is a stable solid, unlike pressurized hydrogen which requires specialized infrastructure.

Who in the consortium has commercial deployment experience?

CRF (Centro Ricerche Fiat, Italy) brings automotive industry expertise, GRAPHENEA is a commercial graphene producer, GENCELL makes fuel cell systems, and HST provides hydrogen storage technology. With 3 industrial partners and 2 SMEs out of 11, the consortium has a 27% industry ratio.

Consortium

Who built it

The LESGO consortium brings together 11 partners from 6 countries (Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Israel, Italy), with a balanced mix of 5 research centers, 3 universities, and 3 industrial players including 2 SMEs. The 27% industry ratio is typical for research-heavy FET projects. Key industrial strengths include GRAPHENEA (commercial graphene production), GENCELL (fuel cell systems), HST (hydrogen storage), and CRF — the Fiat Research Centre — which anchors the automotive application. The coordinator ICFO is a world-class photonics institute in Spain. For a business looking to access this technology, the presence of CRF and GRAPHENEA means the consortium already understands manufacturing constraints and automotive requirements, not just lab science.

FUNDACIO INSTITUT DE CIENCIES FOTONIQUESCoordinator · ES
CENTRO RICERCHE FIAT SCPAparticipant · IT
GRAPHENEA SAparticipant · ES
HYSYTECH SRLparticipant · IT
AALTO KORKEAKOULUSAATIO SRparticipant · FI
UNIVERSITAET DUISBURG-ESSENparticipant · DE
FUNDACIO INSTITUT DE RECERCA EN ENERGIA DE CATALUNYAparticipant · ES
CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHEparticipant · IT
BERGISCHE UNIVERSITAET WUPPERTALparticipant · DE
FONDEN DEMOCRACY Xparticipant · DK

How to reach the team

ICFO — Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, Barcelona, Spain. Use Google AI Search to find the project coordinator's direct contact.

Order a report on this consortium See FUNDACIO INSTITUT DE CIENCIES FOTONIQUES profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing rGO-H technology or connecting with the LESGO consortium? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the right partner — contact us for a one-page technology brief.

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