Fill 'Er Up With Hydrogen

Shell Hydrogen, Hydro-Québec (HQ) and Gesellschaft für Elektrometallurgie (GfE) today announced plans to establish a joint venture for developing, manufacturing and marketing hydrogen storage products.

Safe and convenient storage of hydrogen is crucial for the introduction of hydrogen into energy markets. Hydrogen, which can be produced with little or no emissions, is projected to become a major energy source for both passenger vehicles and power generation.

Shell Hydrogen, HQ and GfE are pursuing commercial discussions regarding the proposed venture, which would be involved in the complete value chain from development through to sale of hydride-based storage materials and devices. The companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding late last year.

"If a hydrogen economy is to be created, then a safe and reliable hydrogen storage system is absolutely critical," said Don Huberts, CEO of Shell Hydrogen.

"And by combining our respective strengths in manufacturing, research, development and energy provision, we believe we can create a storage system that meets these requirements much more effectively than anything that exists today," added Jean-René Marcoux, General Manager, Business Development and Affiliates at HQ and CEO of Hydro-Québec CapiTech.

The partners are convinced that metal hydrides will provide the best means of safely and reliably storing hydrogen. Metal hydrides work by ‘trapping’ the hydrogen inside a metal alloy: the storage is particularly safe because the hydrogen atoms are bonded to the metal.

Dr. Siegfried Sattelberger, Joint Managing Director at GfE, said, "This is the right time and the best team to push this technology forward and to make hydrogen storage systems available."

Notes

Shell Hydrogen is a global business consisting of separate companies and other organisational entities within the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies. Shell Hydrogen was set up in 1999 to pursue and develop business opportunities related to hydrogen and fuel cells and has its principal office in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Gesellschaft für Elektrometallurgie (GfE) develops and produces special alloys and coating materials for specific high-tech applications. The company has 20 years of experience in manufacturing hydrogen storage alloys and complete hydrogen storage systems. GfE, a subsidiary of Metallurg, New York, has its main office and production facilities in Nuremberg, Germany.

Hydro-Québec is a large utility that provides multi-energy residential, commercial and institutional services in the province of Québec. It is a world leader in the generation of green hydroelectric energy. IREQ, its R&D organization, has been active internationally in the development of new hydrogen storage materials for close to 10 years. Through its subsidiary Hydro-Québec CapiTech inc., a corporate venture capital company created in 1998, Hydro-Québec invests in companies whose technological products and services are related to the field of energy.