Hydrogen Carrier Overview
Maritime Hydrogen's extensive knowledge of both the characteristics of the different Hydrogen carriers and the characteristics of the maritime sector enables us to determine the right strategy on a pathway to zero emission for our clients.
Metal Borohydrides (M-BH4)
Metal borohydrides are a collection of salts like Potassium (KBH4) and Sodium (NaBH4) borohydrides. The salts react with water to produce hydrogen and a spent fuel called metaborate. Because of the solid aggravation state of these salt, very high energy densities are possible. Resulting in more range. However, the solid aggravation state also presents challenges in terms of fuel transportation on board.
The Port of Amsterdam is currently developing a demo vessel to showcase the use of new hydrogen carriers like sodium borohydride. For successful commercial application, however, the spent fuel needs to be recycled efficiently. This is still a challenge, although promising research is conducted on both the TU Delft and the molecular science institute from the University of Amsterdam.
Liqiuid Organing Hydrogen Carriers (LOHC)
LOHC are organic compounds, like oils, that can hydrogenate and dehydrogenate. Absorbing or binding hydrogen and releasing it again when heated. Some LOHC application require extra safety systems because of their toxicity, but others are safer than diesel and can thus use existing infrastructure. This means using existing tanks when retrofitting vessels and using large oil terminals as storage facilities. The lower energy densities however will mean less range or more refuelling stops compared to conventional diesel operations.
