India’s ACME Group and Germany’s Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies have joined forces in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to investigate the feasibility of constructing large-scale hydrogen supply chains.
These chains would connect ACME’s projects in Oman with distribution hubs in Europe, utilizing Hydrogenious’ liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC) technology. The collaboration aims to leverage green hydrogen produced by ACME in Oman to supply various sectors in Europe, including industry, energy, and transportation, while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions.
The partnership sees Hydrogenious’ LOHC technology as an ideal solution for facilitating large-scale hydrogen imports via maritime routes, enabling cost-effective transportation to Europe. By utilizing the chemical process of binding hydrogen to the thermal oil benzyltoluene (LOHC-BT), green hydrogen molecules can be efficiently stored and transported at ambient pressure and temperature, utilizing existing liquid fuel infrastructure.
ACME and Hydrogenious Look into Hydrogen Routes from Oman to Europe (Credits: ET Energy World)
ACME and Hydrogenious intend to expand their collaboration beyond the Oman-Europe route to evaluate the feasibility of hydrogen value chains from the U.S. to Europe. They highlight Oman’s renewable energy potential, including solar and onshore wind, as well as incentives provided by the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, which contribute to competitive hydrogen production costs.
Ashwani Dudeja, Group President and Director for ACME Group emphasizes the transformative potential of green hydrogen in global energy systems, expressing confidence in the economic and technical viability of their Oman project. Partnering with Hydrogenious to develop efficient logistics using LOHC is seen as a strategic move toward delivering a cost-effective value proposition for customers.
Toralf Pohl, Chief Commercial Officer at Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies, underscores the safety and stability of LOHC-BT in handling hydrogen, particularly in ports and urban environments. Its low flammability and competitive volumetric storage density enable large-scale, long-distance hydrogen value chains with minimal hydrogen losses.
In late 2023, Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies entered into another MoU with Clarksons Specialised Products to collaborate on establishing a maritime supply chain for bulk transportation of green hydrogen using LOHC technology. This indicates a broader industry interest in leveraging innovative solutions for hydrogen transportation and distribution.
