Anglo American Platinum Limited is has fully funded the first financing round of Hydrogenious Technologies’.  Earlier this year, Anglo American Platinum announced its commitment of USD 100 million over the next five years to support early stage technologies and innovative industrial applications that use or enable the use of platinum group metals.  As part of this market development strategy, Hydrogenious will use the new funding to support further development of its ‘HydroStore’ energy storage system that will take it to a fully commercial product.

Hydrogenious Technologies is a high-tech spin-off from the University of Erlangen – Nuremberg (Germany), which also holds a stake in the company.  Its technology is focussed on the safe storage of hydrogen, which is frequently being used as an energy storage medium. Existing technologies store hydrogen either under extremely high pressures of up to 700 bar, or in liquid form at –253°C. Hydrogenious’ technology binds the hydrogen molecules to liquid organic hydrogen carriers, which have diesel-like characteristics. This enables safe and easy to handle, high-density energy storage at ambient conditions, addressing the existing challenges associated with storing gaseous hydrogen.

The HydroStore, an all-in power-to-power storage system, offers a solution to storing energy generated from renewables. Its design offers flexibility to decouple input and output power from the storage capacity, making it a widely applicable energy storage system, which contributes to electricity grid stabilisation and grid independence.

Andrew Hinkly, Anglo American Platinum’s Executive Head of Marketing, says, “Hydrogenious’ technology may be the long awaited solution to efficient, safe and cost-effective hydrogen storage.  We believe this could lead to the breakthrough of hydrogen as a mass fuelling solution.  Our interest in the success of platinum-based fuel cells for stationary and, longer-term mobile applications could be well served through this type of hydrogen infrastructure solution.” 

For Daniel Teichmann, CEO of Hydrogenious Technologies, “Anglo American Platinum’s investment will enable Hydrogenious to get its products out into the market.   They are not only a financial investor but we will benefit from their broad international network in the energy sector.   Together with the University of Erlangen - Nuremberg, this really gives us an ideal starting position to make our business successful.”

Fabian Kröher, director of Bryanston Resources, who supported Anglo American Platinum in the investment process, considers Anglo American Platinum and Hydrogenious an ideal match.  “Whilst Hydrogenious’ technology has the potential to lead to the breakthrough of fuel cells which use platinum group metals, Anglo American Platinum’s mines could be ideal users of LOHC-based off-grid energy solutions in Africa.”

Hydrogenious’ breakthrough technology was developed and optimised by the founding partners, CEO Daniel Teichmann and the university professors Peter Wasserscheid, Wolfgang Arlt and Eberhard Schlücker together with their research teams at the University of Erlangen – Nuremberg. Fundamental aspects of Hydrogenious’ technology have been developed at the Bavarian Hydrogen Center, a cross-institutional research platform focusing on the development of a sustainable hydrogen economy and within the framework of the Erlangen Excellence Cluster “Engineering of Advanced Materials”. Hydrogenious will continue its close research co-operation with the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, ensuring technological leadership in LOHC energy storage. The collaboration is underlined by a full-fledged prototype of the LOHC energy storage system, currently being installed by the University of Erlangen - Nuremberg