Hydrogen Future Industries provides update on technology development
HFI has agreed to commit a minimum of US$1 million to the development of the test units and other interests.
Hydrogen Future Industries PLC (HFI) has provided an update on development progress following the formation in March 2022 of HFI Energy Systems Limited (HESL), the company’s wholly-owned product development subsidiary.
HFI is a developer of proprietary wind and water-based green hydrogen production systems. HESL forms part of a group of companies, including HESL as the holding company, an additional wholly-owned intellectual property development company (HFI Development Limited), and a further joint venture intellectual property holding company (HFI IP Holdings Limited).
The most advanced system under development by the HESL Group is a wind-based hydrogen production system combined with electrolyser technologies which aim to generate hydrogen for under $2/kg – significantly lower than other green hydrogen production systems ranging from $4 to $6/kg, and in line with the global 2030 target.
The HESL Group intends to incorporate hydrogen compression and on-demand energy storage technology, allowing energy to be stored in the form of hydrogen at a fraction of the cost of lithium-ion battery storage, solving the challenges faced by current windfarms during periods of reduced energy demand.
The system being developed by the HESL Group aims to generate hydrogen from a choice of feedstocks, including waste or contaminated water, saline or freshwater, and remediation processes, meaning it can be operated in various settings, including offshore mining, and industrial. It could also deliver constant electricity at costs up to 50% below current wind turbines while nearly halving capital costs per megawatt of electricity generated.
Work has been ongoing since the formation of HESL to leverage the data generated in testing and simulations in preparation for installing a test system in real-world conditions. This includes flow testing the wind speed through the turbine and improving electrolyser efficiency. Where required and appropriate, the HESL Group will acquire or register patents to protect the intellectual property being developed.