Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has reportedly achieved 50 days of hydrogen refuelling operations using its cryogenic hydrogen pump.
Carried out at FirstElement Fuel’s (FEF) Livermore Hydrogen Hub in the US, MHI has said its 900 bar Class Ultra-High-Pressure Liquid Hydrogen Booster Pump completed 1,500 refuelling cycles without downtime or replacement of major parts.
The Japanese corporation stated that the long-term durability demonstrates “significant progress on the path to a future hydrogen economy,” providing high flow rates of 160kg of hydrogen per hour at 900 bar. Over 1,200 hours of operations, they pumped approximately 140 tonnes of liquid hydrogen.
The test first began in April 2023 and was completed this month (November 2024). The pump will now be installed at a large-scale hydrogen station in Japan, which is scheduled to go into commercial operation next year.
MHI wrote online, “Our Ultra-High-Pressure Liquid Hydrogen Boost Pump is currently being introduced to the global market. This and new advanced solutions will continue to add value on society’s path to a future hydrogen economy.”
The rough road ahead of hydrogen refuelling
As of 2023, more than 1,100 hydrogen refuelling stations (HRS) were in operation across the globe1, a 60% increase in deployment from 2021 to October last year. Asian markets saw the most growth in the refuelling sector, with Japan, China and South Korea boasting nearly 800 stations in total, significantly more than Europe with 2501.
Throughout the second half of 2023, more than 10 countries announced plans for hydrogen refuelling stations, mainly in Europe1. The Hydrogen Council predicts that the number of hydrogen refuelling stations deployed will increase if government targets are realised.
This includes Japan and South Korea’s ambitions to expand their networks to more than 600 stations by 2030. Alongside this, the EU’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), adopted in July 2023, mandates the deployment of a hydrogen refuelling station every 200km along the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and all “urban nodes.”
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