Innovative Hydrogen Transport Solution Development Through ROAD TRHYP Project
Key Ideas
- The ROAD TRHYP project, initiated in 2023, focuses on developing a novel hydrogen transport trailer using Type 5 thermoplastic composite tubes for higher pressure storage and enhanced efficiency.
- The consortium comprising prominent companies and institutions aims to address current challenges in hydrogen transport, such as limited capacity, high environmental footprint, and increased costs.
- Key objectives of the project include designing 700-bar Type 5 tubes, ensuring hydrogen purity, demonstrating safety, evaluating environmental impact, and formulating regulatory recommendations.
- Anticipated outcomes involve the transportation of 1.5 tons of hydrogen at 700 bar, reduced capital expenditure, and a more than 5.3% increase in tube gravimetric capacity by the project's conclusion in June 2026.
The ROAD TRHYP project, launched in January 2023, is dedicated to revolutionizing hydrogen transport through the development of an innovative hydrogen transport trailer utilizing thermoplastic composite tubes known as Type 5. These tubes are designed to allow storage at higher pressure levels of 700 bar, surpassing the capabilities of current steel or composite tubes. This advancement is expected to boost hydrogen transport capacity to 1.5 tons, thereby enhancing overall transport efficiency.
The project consortium, which includes industry giants like Air Liquide and Arkema, as well as renowned research institutions, aims to overcome existing challenges in hydrogen transport. By introducing Type 5 tubes, the project targets to mitigate issues related to limited hydrogen transport capacity, frequent transport rotations, and increased compression costs at stations.
ROAD TRHYP has outlined several key objectives to achieve its mission, such as developing lighter Type 5 tubes, implementing effective decontamination methods to ensure hydrogen purity, conducting safety tests, assessing environmental impacts, and proposing regulatory guidelines for the use of Type 5 tubes. The project's outcomes are expected to enable the transportation of 1.5 tons of hydrogen at 700 bar pressure, reduce capital expenditure on hydrogen storage, and achieve a notable increase in tube gravimetric capacity.
Since its inception, the project has made significant progress, successfully designing a hydrogen trailer capable of transporting the targeted hydrogen volume and developing Type 5 cylinders with enhanced gravimetric capacity. With funding support from the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, ROAD TRHYP is poised to make substantial contributions to the advancement of hydrogen transport technology and is set to conclude in June 2026.