AKROS Energy inaugurates pilot plant for salt-based hydrogen storage
In Germany, AKROS Energy has inaugurated its pilot plant for the chemical storage of hydrogen in salt at the H2APEX site in Laage, near Rostock.
“With the pilot plant, we are showing that our technology works at industrial scale,” said Johannes Emigholz, CEO of AKROS Energy. “Salt as a hydrogen carrier offers a safe, low-cost and infrastructure-light pathway to bring hydrogen from regions where it can be produced abundantly to the industrial markets that need it.”
At the heart of the pilot is a containerized conversion system in which AKROS’ proprietary catalyst converts an aqueous solution of potassium bicarbonate (KHCO₃) — widely used in industry as baking powder — together with hydrogen, into potassium formate (KCOOH). The loaded salt is stable, non-toxic, non-flammable, environmentally harmless and indefinitely storable. At the destination, the reaction is reversed to release hydrogen on demand.
The pilot plant was realized with significant contributions from industry partners Evonik and Siemens.
Category: Hydrogen
