ACME Group mulls LOHCs for green hydrogen transport chain

Indian renewable energy firm ACME Group (ACME) plans to transport hydrogen from its plant in Oman using liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) technology.

PHOTO: Model of a LOHC storage plant. Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies

ACME will study the feasibility of using Germany-based Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies' proprietary technology to ship green hydrogen from Oman to Europe.

Need for LOHCs

Hydrogen has a low volumetric energy density. It needs to be stored either in a compressed form at high pressure (350-700 bar) or in a cryogenic form at very low temperatures (−252.8°C) to ensure it does not escape into the atmosphere during transportation. However, both of these processes are very expensive and tend to make hydrogen transportation more costly.

In response, hydrogen producers and suppliers are exploring other methods of transporting hydrogen over long distances with minimal boil-off losses. One example of such technology is liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs).

A cost-effective solution

In LOHC technology, hydrogen is chemically bonded to stable liquid organic carriers, which are derivatives of oil that react reversibly with hydrogen. This method allows hydrogen to be stored without compression or freezing and requires little-to-no changes to the storage infrastructure.

In this case, Hydrogenious uses thermal oil benzyl toluene as a LOHC. Benzyl toluene can be stored and transported at ambient pressure and temperature just like conventional fuel. It can also be used multiple times to absorb and release hydrogen as needed. In addition, there is no hydrogen boil-off, even over long distances and periods of time.

This makes LOHC a cost-effective alternative for long-distance hydrogen transportation, Hydrogenious claims.

“Due to its inherent safety, LOHC-BT [benzyl toluene] is particularly suited for handling hydrogen in ports and urban environments, as it is hardly flammable, very stable and has a competitive volumetric storage density, enabling large-scale, long-distance hydrogen value chains without hydrogen losses,” Toralf Pohl, chief commercial officer at Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies said.

ACME Group’s hydrogen plant in Duqm, Oman will produce green hydrogen using wind and solar energy. It is also planning to set up a green hydrogen plant in the US and plans to transport green hydrogen from the US to Europe using the same LOHC technology.

A growing market for LOHCs

Last year, Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies partnered with renewable energy firm CWP Global to ship roughly 182,000 mt/year of green hydrogen from Morocco to Europe.

A consortium led by the Net Zero Technology Centre and the Port of Rotterdam is creating a "hydrogen highway" between Scotland and Rotterdam based on LOHC technology.

In Asia, Japanese companies, Mitsui O.S.K Lines (MOL) and ENOES are looking at another chemical called methylcyclohexane (MCH) which can be used as a green hydrogen carrier.

By Konica Bhatt

Please get in touch with comments or additional info to news@engine.online