A new acoustic material that reduces noise pollution, a molecular catalyst that improves chemical reactions, a system capable of transforming waste into renewable fuel… In Valencia, researchers marched on the stage of the Palacio de las Comunicaciones to receive the various prizes of the European Inventor, awarded by the European Patent Office, in the sectors of industry, research, SMEs and non-EPO countries, on July 4.
But one team stood out from the other 600 applicants by winning both the European Inventor Award in the Research Sector and the People’s Choice Award. And, crap, they’re French! Patricia de Rango, Daniel Fruchart, Albin Chaise and Nataliya Skryabina, researchers at the CNRS in Grenoble, and Michel Jehan, their industrial partner, have developed a method for storing hydrogen in the form of solid disks, which is safer, more durable and less energy-intensive.
Daniel Fruchart, former research director at the CNRS who has been working since the 1990s on the development of this innovation, and Michel Jehan, president of the Jomi-Leman company, answered questions from Le Point. They call on big players in the energy sector to help French and European small businesses more.
Le Point: Can you tell us about your invention? How is it innovative compared to existing hydrogen storage solutions?
Daniel Fruchart: We succeeded in creating a solution which, thanks to magnesium hydride (a recyclable material), makes it possible to store hydrogen in the form of solid and stackable pancakes in tube tanks. This solution is much safer than hydrogen in the form of gas today which risks exploding when it is at room temperature.
Michel Jehan: The volume compactness of our solid hydrogen is also very interesting. If we take a container of 1 cubic meter, we can put the equivalent of 42 kilograms of hydrogen in the form of compressed gas at 700 bars, 70 kilograms of hydrogen in liquid form, and 112 kilograms of solid hydrogen with our magnesium solution.
What has this partnership between academic research and industry contributed to the development of your solution?
D. F.: It’s an orchestra in which everyone plays their part. On the university side, we have an extremely solid team, because they are complementary. Patricia de Rango designed the disk storage tanks and analyzed the tank development processes as well as the characterization of the chemical compounds used. Albin Chaise created mixing and compacting processes and studied the thermal and fluidic properties of the discs in order to validate their performance. I worked on magnesium hydride, the atomic structure of which would allow hydrogen to be stored. Nataliya Skryabina conducted research on the reactions of hydrogen with other materials and the physical and chemical properties of magnesium hydride. Added to this is an industrial partnership without which we would never have been able to develop the technology needed to produce magnesium hydride in larger quantities and begin marketing our product.
M. J.: This CNRS team taught me how research worked and I taught him how industry worked with its constraints in the manufacture of machines and presses, in particular. They have trained many engineers and doctors in the field of energy, and it is very valuable. Advancing research work and developing it together at the same time is essential, and we want to encourage young generations of engineers in the sector to learn how to work with research centres.
Does France, which has led the national strategy for the development of carbon-free hydrogen since 2020, support enough initiatives like yours to push the development of effective solutions in favor of the energy transition?
Michel Jehan: What is really lacking is above all support from major French groups. For example, Air Liquide is behaving badly vis-à-vis a French SME like ours, which it should support to move faster and in the same direction. They financed a project similar to ours in Australia, when they could work with a CNRS laboratory in Grenoble… The big players in the energy sector should change their behavior to help more small French and European companies, that would create a more virtuous circle.
Another strategic issue is that of the sovereign production of magnesium. It is one of the metals of the future, because it carries promises as great as that of creating a non-polluting, affordable and renewable fuel. Unfortunately, today, Europe is totally dependent on China… It should seriously think about a new production of magnesium on its territory.
How and where do you want to distribute your green hydrogen and what are your prospects in the next few years?
Michel Jehan: Today, in the hydrogen market, gas companies are the masters of the game with their distribution by trucks. But there is a problem: for each truck, 40 tons are moved for 380 kilograms of hydrogen transported. With the development of fuel cell electric cars (powered by electricity produced from hydrogen and oxygen), we will not be able to drive 4,000 of them a day on the highways to meet the needs. It will take a lot of gas station storage directly. Our solid hydrogen storage tanks, compact and safe because they are not pressurized, provide a response to this imminent problem.