Application for the HyCS®-Technology
Our hydrogen storage technology is suitable for many applications. Some of them can be marketed very quickly. They will enable AMBARTEC to finance its further growth partly from its own revenues. Other fields of application offer a long-term growth perspective.
First commercial units available
Our hydrogen compact storage technology (HyCS®) has been demonstrated and proven since early 2022. First commercial units will be available by 2023 and a 20-foot standard containers by 2024. Solutions for large-scale applications are being designed on client’s request.H2 transport – economically viable and over long distances
With our HyCS® technology, energy can be supplied from wind farms and solar plants to, for example, a H₂-filling station. The transport of H₂ from decentralized producers to decentralized users represents the next level of scaling up of the technology. Our modular transport units (100 liters/250 kWh), which should be available by the end of 2022, can be used without major technical adjustments to the connected systems.
They enable experienced freight companies or fuel suppliers to transport at least twice as much H₂ on a truck as with conventional pressure vessels. This leads to a significant reduction in transport costs. Although the market for decentralized H₂ transport is currently limited, it will grow significantly as the German national H₂ strategy will boost the market. Then there will also be room for new players.
AMBARTEC is already working on further developments to establish new business opportunities in the medium term for shipping companies and international energy trading companies in the intercontinental transport of hydrogen. After all, experts agree: In the future, at least two thirds of Germany’s hydrogen demand will be imported, and a significant proportion of this will be imported from overseas.
AMBARtec’s solution is far superior to conventional methods: Compared to today’s liquid hydrogen transporters, the HyCS® technology can transport about four times as much H2 in a ship of the same size.
In addition, the water required for H₂ production can remain at the production site and be reused. This is an enormous advantage, especially for H₂ generation from solar energy in sunny and mostly dry locations.
Decentralized energy storage – long and safe
The 100-litre unit also offers interesting applications for decentralized energy storage. To store a comparable amount of energy in an electric Li-ion battery, five to ten times the volume is required, i. e. up to 1,000 litres. HyCS® technology is of interest for medium-sized applications, e. g. customers with PV systems >500 kW or wind turbines >250 kW and power consumption >500 MWh/a . Over the past 10 years, around 3,000 new solar power systems between 100 and 1,000 kW have been built in Germany alone, which means that there are currently over 30,000 of these systems in operation. If 5% of them were to move to the more cost effective HyCS® storage, 1,500 units would have to be installed.Operating heavy duty vehicles, ships and trains with H₂
Our HyCS® technology is characterized by its compactness. This property is particularly advantageous for use in mobility, where the moved volume is primarily required for the payload. Fields of application are seen here in road transport in the field of heavy duty transport and in commercial vehicles in the inner city area (sweepers, waste disposal) as well as in buses.
If HyCS® technology can be made marketable together with a truck manufacturer, a huge market is waiting for this technology. In Germany alone, more than 80,000 trucks >6t are registered annually. If 15% of these are registered with alternative powertrains and 50% with H₂, the demand is 5,000 H₂ vehicles per year. With a HyCS® market share of 25%, this results in a demand of more than 1,000 units per year.
Competitive advantages also arise in ship and train operations, in particular when switching from diesel engines to alternative power trains. The special advantage of the HyCS® technology is that using combustion engines leads to high efficiency. Engines are currently far more robust and technically approved than fuel cells, and they are well known to all actors in the value chain including service and maintenance.
AMBARTEC is aware that applications in the mobility sector lead to integration challenges. Therefore, the market launch here is expected in the medium term perspective.