Verdicel has developed a unique, superior, modular hydrogen storage technology called the Active Hydrogen Storage System (AHSS), a groundbreaking modular technology that revolutionizes the efficiency and effectiveness of gas-based hydrogen storage solutions, setting a new standard in the industry. With a patent-pending design, Verdicel's AHSS solution offers unmatched performance, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. The AHSS solution has been developed initially in conjunction with an on-site hydrogen production platform over the last several years and began to take a life of its own since the summer of 2021 when it has become apparent as an essential solution in the current environment of hydrogen fueling for transport. Hydrogen fueling stations deployed globally currently are facing considerable downtimes due to a lack of effective compression and chilling to meet the essential requirement for a fuel station to support fast fueling requirements (i.e., back-to-back hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) fueling for vehicles ranging from light duty passenger vehicles to heavy-duty long-haul trucks). Verdicel’s AHSS has provided a timely opportunity to deploy since it solves this critical problem in the industry today.
Current Industry Landscape
As global efforts intensify to reduce carbon emissions, major enterprises like Chevron, BP, Shell, and Air Products are investing in large-scale hydrogen production facilities to meet the rising demand for clean energy solutions. A critical sector embracing hydrogen technology is heavy-duty transport, driven by the urgent need to decarbonize. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), transportation accounts for the largest share (29%) of total GHG emissions in the US. Hydrogen-based power demands are growing over 100% year-over-year (YOY) diversified over a variety of industries, including transport.
One of the main benefits of fuel cell electric trucks (FCETs) fueled with hydrogen is their ability to offer a comparable driving experience to conventional diesel trucks, while eliminating harmful emissions. Unlike battery electric trucks (BETs), which require long charging times and have limited ranges due to battery weight and power constraints, FCETs can be refueled in minutes and travel hundreds of miles on a single tank. Moreover, FCETs have a lower powertrain weight than BETs, which means they can carry more payload without compromising fuel efficiency.
Therefore, FCETs are potentially expected to better meet the requirements of heavy-duty long-haul transport, where speed, range, and reliability are crucial factors. By using hydrogen as an energy carrier, FCETs can leverage the existing gas infrastructure and distribution network, while paving the way for a carbon-neutral future. Recognizing this imperative, leading vehicle OEMs such as Hyzon, Toyota, Peterbilt, and Kenworth are actively pursuing hydrogen FCETs as a zero-emission alternative. Amid global commitments like the Paris Agreement, which mandates stringent emission reduction targets, FCETs fueled by hydrogen have emerged as a pivotal solution for achieving sustainability goals.
In the heavy-duty transport segment, the challenge lies in the infrastructure supporting FCETs, specifically hydrogen refueling stations. Existing stations face operational inefficiencies, with downtime rates exceeding 50% due to technical limitations of conventional storage and compression systems. Mechanical compressor technology struggles to meet the demands of fast-fill environments, resulting in frequent breakdowns and service disruptions. However, hydrogen offers distinct advantages over lithium batteries for long-haul heavy-duty transport. While both serve as energy storage solutions, hydrogen boasts a significantly higher energy density, enabling it to store more energy per unit of weight compared to lithium batteries. Additionally, hydrogen can be produced from a variety of sources, including renewable energy, making it a sustainable option for energy storage. Furthermore, FCETs offer faster refueling times and longer ranges, making them more suitable for commercial vehicles operating on fixed routes.
From a market perspective, the trends show a strong advantage for compressed gaseous hydrogen at 700 barg (i.e., approximately 10,000 psig) for heavy-duty, long-haul transport, as reflected in Table 1 below presenting the various gaseous and liquid solutions. The 350 barg (i.e., 5,000 psig) powertrain and fuel transportation solution has proven itself to be suitable for shorter ranges, for example for drayage and local delivery within a city’s limits. Liquid hydrogen powertrain and fuel solutions such as sub-cooled or cryo-compressed liquid hydrogen are immature technologies and are arguably no better than the 700 bar compressed hydrogen gas solution, particularly because of the various costs associated with liquid hydrogen – the costs of initial liquefaction, maintaining low to cryogenic temperatures during transport, keeping the hydrogen at low to cryogenic temperatures while in storage prior to dispensing, and vaporizing to gaseous state the liquid hydrogen to be carried aboard the vehicle. This is compared to the cost of producing gaseous hydrogen and maintaining it during transport and storage at the fueling station without having to incur the cost of liquefaction.
Verdicel Advantages
Lower Capitalization: Directly related to the simplified design of the system and the elimination of costly components utilized in other system therefore, reducing the cost of the overall solution.
Physical Footprint: The solution vertical orientation verses legacy solutions horizontal orientation reduces are foot by as much as eighty percent allowing for placement in high density commercial areas.
Compression Rate: The system will compress Hydrogen at 12 times the rate existing solutions. This is accomplished incorporating one compression vessel for every four storage vessels. Each compression vessel can compress 90 Kg Hydrogen per hour double the current industry standard.
Performance: The solution designed to maintain all gas stored at full discharge pressure of 950. Making 100 percent of the gas available for dispensing at all times not merely the 15 percent of gas available in legacy systems.
Embrittlement: The solution utilizes principals of Joule–Thomson effect to maintain the vessels inside temperature at constant of 106 Celsius which in turn reduces the gas’s ability to break down the diatomic molecule structure of the gas therefore, greatly reducing amount of Hydrogen absorbed into the vessels walls itself therefore, reducing embrittlement and extending the life of the vessel.
Reliability: The solution unique manifold design allows the system provides 100 percent redundancies as each manifold contains a dedicated compression vessel to supply the four attached storage effectively providing backup compression for every 208 Kg Hydrogen gas added to the system.
Lower Operational: The solution reduces operation cost by limiting operational components, redundancy of design reduces critical failures. Opportunity cost associated with lose of Carbon credits and fuel sales and last a 50 percent reduction in power consumption from 8.6 kWh to just under 4.3 kWh per Kg hydrogen compressed.
