In order to fund a pilot of the Hydrilyte hydrogen storage technology, which Carbon280 has an exclusive license for, Carbon280 has announced the successful raising of $7.6 million.

A renowned UK green energy provider, Hive Energy, and international energy corporation Woodside both took part in the investment round.

Numerous industrial industries can benefit from hydrogen. It eliminates the erratic nature of renewable energy sources, provides fuel for vehicles that are too big for present battery technology, and serves as a feedstock for numerous industrial and chemical operations.

Although a kilogram of hydrogen has three times the energy of a kilogram of diesel, it is difficult to store and transport because it requires up to 11 cubic meters of space at sea level, compared to just over a litre for diesel.

A new method of storing hydrogen uses hydrilyte, a metal hydride dust suspended in a liquid. The mixture is safe to handle and stable under atmospheric conditions. Being a liquid, it can be transported and stored using the infrastructure already in place for liquid fuels, enabling a quick scale-up of the product.

The raw components used to make hydrilyte are inexpensive. The goal of the pilot is to show how safely and affordably the device can store and release hydrogen.