A major breakthrough has emerged in India's clean energy sector. Researchers at MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) have developed a new technology for the safe, easy, and cost-effective transportation of hydrogen. This innovation is expected to be a game-changer in making India a global leader in the field of green hydrogen. This discovery can potentially boost the National Green Hydrogen Mission and advance the country toward a carbon-free economy.
What's the big discovery?
A research team at MIT-WPU has developed a Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC) system that enables hydrogen to be converted into a stable and safe liquid form. The key advantage of this technology is that it significantly reduces the risk of fire or explosion, and allows hydrogen to be easily stored and transported at normal temperatures and pressures. With LOHC technology, hydrogen can be transported using existing tankers and pipelines, just like any other common industrial liquid, thereby reducing both costs and risks.
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The principal investigator of this research, Professor Dr. Rajib Kumar Sinharay, explained that no concrete results were obtained for the first 50 days, but the team did not give up. This major breakthrough was achieved after more than 100 experiments were conducted over approximately 10 months. He added that the journey was certainly difficult, but it demonstrated that with persistent effort and sound scientific thinking, even the impossible can become possible.
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This innovation began when Ohm Clean Tech Private Limited (OCPL) approached MIT-WPU with a complex problem. Many of the country's leading institutions did not have solution to this problem. As there was no established method for solving it anywhere in the world, the research team developed the entire process from scratch. OCPL founder Siddharth Mayur stated that this technology is a significant and practical step towards the safe transportation of hydrogen. The company has also initiated the process for an international patent for this innovation and is preparing to launch it as a commercial product in the future.
Solving the major problem of hydrogen transport
Although hydrogen is one of the cleanest forms of energy, its highly flammable nature and the challenging conditions required for transport have limited its large-scale use until now. Currently, hydrogen is either stored in high-pressure cylinders or liquefied at minus 253 degrees Celsius, which is both expensive and risky. However, this research has made its storage and transportation much easier and affordable.
MIT-WPU's LOHC technology solved this problem with a two-step chemical process. In the first step, hydrogen is bonded to a special organic liquid, converting it into a safe liquid. In the second step, the hydrogen is released at the point of use, while the liquid carrier can be reused. This technology enables hydrogen to be easily transported through existing fuel tankers, storage tanks, and pipelines, reducing both cost and risk.
Excellent results in testing
During lab tests, the MIT-WPU team completed the hydrogen storage process in just 2 hours, while globally this process takes approximately 18 hours. Moreover, while a temperature of 170 degrees Celsius is typically required, this process was completed at only 130 degrees Celsius. They successfully stored approximately 11,000 liters of hydrogen in just 15.6 liters of carrier liquid, and 86% of the hydrogen was recovered during dehydrogenation.
Why is this discovery significant for India?
According to research advisor Professor Datta Dandge, this technology can completely transform clean energy logistics in India. Transporting hydrogen like a common industrial liquid will eliminate many of the existing problems related to safety and government regulations.