In two pilot projects, Mabanaft and NACOMPEX GmbH are working together to develop an innovative, decentralized system for storing and transporting hydrogen. Germany’s federal government and that of the state of Saxony are funding the projects as part of the National Hydrogen Strategy. This includes Mabanaft acquiring an equity stake in NACOMPEX, headquartered in Dresden, Saxony, where the company researches and develops innovative energy-storage systems.

Using NACOMPEX's FeRedox process, the team is working on energy-storage systems that aim to significantly boost the efficiency of the electricity-hydrogen-electricity energy conversion chain.

“Storing H2 is still complicated and expensive and still impeding the widespread use of hydrogen,” said NACOMPEX Managing Director Claudia Hain. “Our idea is to store the energy of hydrogen in iron pellets using a redox reaction with iron – cost-effectively, reliably and with a high energy density. In this way, hydrogen can be easily and safely stored and transported as well as efficiently recovered and converted into electricity.”  

Hydrogen for zero-emission mobility

Several projects are planned to determine reliable parameters for the technological use of iron for storing and transporting hydrogen on a larger scale. For example, in cooperation with the Dresden University of Technology, NACOMPEX will set up a research facility to test the operational performance of the iron-filled storage containers used to store hydrogen. And as part of the FutureHDrive project, the FeRedox storage technology is being scaled up as a 1 MWh standard module for hydrogen storage. The system will be constructed in the form of a stationary container and prepared to be integrated on a rail vehicle. Using this type of system, it will be possible to use electricity from renewable energies or hydrogen produced from them in the transport system, expectedly in a highly efficient manner.