Germany’s Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies and Norway’s Østensjø Group team up to develop an emission-free propulsion system based on hydrogen in oil for the global shipping industry.
The two companies founded the joint venture company called Hydrogenious LOHC Maritime .
Norwegian government-owned organization Enova will support the joint venture’s initial project HyNjord with NOK 26 million (about $3.03 million).
The goal is to develop and market emission-free propulsion systems for ships based on liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC).
By binding the hydrogen to the LOHC, this will be a particularly safe and low-cost technology, the companies claim.
The commercial product is to be ready by 2025,
Hydrogenious LOHC Technology developed and patented the LOHC technology. LOHC is an organic oil loaded with hydrogen. It is neither inflammable nor explosive, which makes it a safe, easy, and efficient way of storing and transporting hydrogen.
Enova will fund the development of a 200 kilowatt pilot of the LOHC/fuel cell propulsion system, which is the focus of the first joint venture project.
The planned application will integrate these core components on-board: the LOHC release unit, which releases hydrogen from the liquid organic carrier Benzyltoluene on demand on the ship, as well as a fuel cell and an interface to the ship’s power management system.
“Our technology is very suitable for maritime use. It is optimal for us to bring our stationary systems, not first on the road, but sensibly on the water… The Østensjø Group, which is well established not only in Norway but also internationally, has seen LOHC as the game-changer for the decarbonisation of shipping for some time” , said Daniel Teichmann , CEO and founder of Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies.
“The Østensjø Group is committed to take part of the energy transition and to find ways to cut emissions. Of all the potential zero-emission technologies, we find LOHC the most promising one. That is why we have prepared all six service operation vessels under construction in our subsidiary, Edda Wind, for LOHC-based propulsion”, added Håvard Framnes , investment director in Østensjø.
“We see a need to develop technologies for the use of various zero-emission energy carriers. LOHC will be a new alternative to compressed and fluid hydrogen, and the different energy carriers will probably have different advantages and areas of application. The HyNjord LOHCproject will give us valuable information in order to contribute for hydrogen to become a real alternative to fossil fuels” , said Øyvind Leistad , marketing director in Enova.