Hydrogen in iron oxide nuggets: AMBARtec at the Hydrogen Technology World Expo
20–22 October 2026 in Hamburg, Hall 6, Stand M40-4 on the HZwo joint stand
Hydrogen is the smallest molecule in the world, and it behaves accordingly: it escapes through seals, needs high pressure or extreme cold, and turns every shipment into a permitting question. Not so once it is stored in iron oxide nuggets. From 20 to 22 October, AMBARtec AG will show how this works at the Hydrogen Technology World Expo in Hamburg – on the HZwo joint stand in Hall 6, Stand M40-4.
The underlying principle was already in industrial-scale use in the 1970s; AMBARtec has developed it further for today’s hydrogen economy. During loading, hydrogen reduces iron oxide nuggets to iron. At the point of use, all it takes is steam: the iron oxidises and releases the hydrogen again. In between sits a storage unit that loses nothing, is not under pressure and is not classed as dangerous goods.
Hydrogen is the smallest molecule in the world, and it behaves accordingly: it escapes through seals, needs high pressure or extreme cold, and turns every shipment into a permitting question. Not so once it is stored in iron oxide nuggets. From 20 to 22 October, AMBARtec AG will show how this works at the Hydrogen Technology World Expo in Hamburg – on the HZwo joint stand in Hall 6, Stand M40-4.
The underlying principle was already in industrial-scale use in the 1970s; AMBARtec has developed it further for today’s hydrogen economy. During loading, hydrogen reduces iron oxide nuggets to iron. At the point of use, all it takes is steam: the iron oxidises and releases the hydrogen again. In between sits a storage unit that loses nothing, is not under pressure and is not classed as dangerous goods.
In Hamburg, we will present three applications:
Hydrogen on the move – in standard containers
Our storage units fit into 20-foot containers and travel by crane, ship, lorry or rail – with no conversion work at ports, no retrofitted vessels and simpler approval procedures. Because the steam produced during loading can be captured and fed back into electrolysis, hydrogen production costs fall by up to 30%, and the water required for loading by up to 90%. In the longer term, bulk carriers will ship the loaded iron nuggets between continents.
Clean hydrogen from dirty gases
Together with Rouge H2 Engineering AG, we produce high-purity hydrogen from gases such as blast furnace, coke oven and converter gas, syngas from biogenic residues and sewage sludge, and landfill gas. The two-stage chemical looping process yields hydrogen of up to 99.5% purity at up to 100 bar – without a compressor. Water-gas shift and pressure swing adsorption are no longer needed, making the production chain around 30% cheaper. On a biomass basis, levelised costs are below €5/kg, and the biogenic CO₂ is available for CCU or CCS.
Warm homes even during dark doldrums
For municipal utilities and district energy suppliers, we will show how surplus wind and solar power is held as hydrogen in the iron storage unit until it is needed during cold, windless spells with high electricity prices. It then supplies power and heat to the local heating network. Heat pumps cover the base load, our storage handles the peaks, and existing boilers and combined heat and power units keep running. The grid connection can be up to 60% smaller; as demand grows, the plant can be extended with further containers while in operation.
Visit us
Bring your specific question – your heating network, your gas stream, your transport route. At the stand, we will be happy to develop initial ideas with you on how the technology could fit into your project. You can register for your free trade visitor ticket at www.hydrogen-worldexpo.com/registration-hydrogen
At a glance
Event: Hydrogen Technology World Expo
Dates: 20–22 October 2026
Venue: Hamburg Messe Stand: Hall 6,
Stand: M40-4 (HZwo joint stand)
Tickets (free): www.hydrogen-worldexpo.com/registration-hydrogen
Hydrogen on the move – in standard containers
Our storage units fit into 20-foot containers and travel by crane, ship, lorry or rail – with no conversion work at ports, no retrofitted vessels and simpler approval procedures. Because the steam produced during loading can be captured and fed back into electrolysis, hydrogen production costs fall by up to 30%, and the water required for loading by up to 90%. In the longer term, bulk carriers will ship the loaded iron nuggets between continents.
Clean hydrogen from dirty gases
Together with Rouge H2 Engineering AG, we produce high-purity hydrogen from gases such as blast furnace, coke oven and converter gas, syngas from biogenic residues and sewage sludge, and landfill gas. The two-stage chemical looping process yields hydrogen of up to 99.5% purity at up to 100 bar – without a compressor. Water-gas shift and pressure swing adsorption are no longer needed, making the production chain around 30% cheaper. On a biomass basis, levelised costs are below €5/kg, and the biogenic CO₂ is available for CCU or CCS.
Warm homes even during dark doldrums
For municipal utilities and district energy suppliers, we will show how surplus wind and solar power is held as hydrogen in the iron storage unit until it is needed during cold, windless spells with high electricity prices. It then supplies power and heat to the local heating network. Heat pumps cover the base load, our storage handles the peaks, and existing boilers and combined heat and power units keep running. The grid connection can be up to 60% smaller; as demand grows, the plant can be extended with further containers while in operation.
Visit us
Bring your specific question – your heating network, your gas stream, your transport route. At the stand, we will be happy to develop initial ideas with you on how the technology could fit into your project. You can register for your free trade visitor ticket at www.hydrogen-worldexpo.com/registration-hydrogen
At a glance
Event: Hydrogen Technology World Expo
Dates: 20–22 October 2026
Venue: Hamburg Messe Stand: Hall 6,
Stand: M40-4 (HZwo joint stand)
Tickets (free): www.hydrogen-worldexpo.com/registration-hydrogen