European Institute for Energy ResearchFuture hydrogen technologies

Hydrogen could revolutionise our mobility and make our transport systems more environmentally friendly. Hydrogen, when produced with the help of renewable energies, has also the potential to significantly contribute to the reduction of C02 emissions in the industry. 

David Colomar, a senior scientist at the European Institute for Energy Research (EIFER), is leading the work on new groundbreaking solutions in three EU projects. Together with the COSMHYC Consortium and Steinbeis Europa Zentrum, EIFER is developing an innovative solution for hydrogen compression. It is based on the combination of two compression technologies: mechanical compression and metal hydride compression. In the COSMHYC XL project, the consortium is developing the solution further for its use in large hydrogen refuelling stations for heavy-duty transport.  

For the shipping industry, EIFER and other European partners are demonstrating the technical and economic feasibility of hydrogen systems and propulsion in two pilot projects, funded by the Interreg project H2SHIPS. In the Netherlands a hydrogen powered vessel is being built along with the development of hydrogen infrastructures for an harbour. In Belgium, a hydrogen refuelling system for operation on the high seas is being developed and tested.