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At this year’s IAA Transportation trade fair Cummins will present their concept ‎for the H2-ICE truck, powered by the state-of-the-art B6.7H hydrogen ‎combustion engine. This ground-breaking project has the potential to ‎accelerate the industry’s effort to decarbonise truck fleets worldwide.‎

The technology has been designed to retain performance and payload capacities, while still maintaining ‎a conventional driveline offering, efficiently transferring power from the engine and transmission to ‎the wheels. Upon its launch, this medium-duty truck will offer a lower-cost technology option, making ‎hydrogen-powered fleets more accessible to customers across the industry.‎

NPROXX has made a significant contribution in bringing this vehicle to life – our engineers have ‎provided important integration expertise, allowing the implementation of a 700-bar NPROXX hydrogen ‎tank, which increases the truck’s fuel storage capacity. ‎

In addition NPROXX has developed a range of hydrogen storage and transportation solutions, and are ‎drivers in hydrogen cutting-edge hydrogen storage systems for a wide range of road and rail vehicles.‎

To find out more about this ground-breaking project, read the Cummins press release or visit us at the ‎IAA Transportation 2022.‎

The bi-annual InnoTrans trade fair is the rail transport industry’s largest show globally. This year, the show returns to the Messe Berlin exhibition centre for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, where NPROXX will be showcasing their advanced hydrogen transport and stationary storage capabilities.

NPROXX will be presenting new innovative hydrogen train technology alongside its shareholder, the global power technology leader, Cummins. NPROXX will be represented by Johannes Lorenz, Director of Marketing and Sales and Michael Ismar, Manager Marketing and Sales 

“We are working with many major names in rail to make hydrogen travel safe, accessible and affordable for the public” comments Lorenz. “Being featured at InnoTrans will be an exciting chance for us to meet new potential partners in the rail sector, to showcase our achievements so far and to demonstrate the advantages of our advanced hydrogen storage and delivery solutions for rail applications.”

About NPROXX

NPROXX specialise in both on-board/mobile hydrogen storage, as demonstrated in the Siemens project, and fixed hydrogen storage solutions. The technology NPROXX has developed utilises modular system designs, which enable large volumes of hydrogen to be stored safely and conveniently, whether it be in refuelling stations or in tank systems on buses, trains and trucks.

If you are interested in hearing more about our hydrogen transport solutions, please visit NPROXX at Stand 380, Hall 18 from 20^th–23^rd September 2022.

In 2021, NPROXX manufactured an innovative new hydrogen fuel tank system to power Anglo American’s record-breaking mine haul truck. This year, the customer has released the trucks for use on the Mogalakwena mine in north-eastern South Africa.

In May, Anglo American unveiled their prototype of the largest hydrogen-powered mine truck in the world. Since delays to this project caused by the COVID-19 pandemic set the launch date back, the release of the truck for use on the platinum group metals (PGMs) mine is more anticipated than ever.

The hydrogen-battery hybrid truck measures at 7.5 metres high and boasts an enormous 290-ton payload, which is the equivalent of three Boeing 757-200 aircrafts. It has been designed to replace a fleet of 40 diesel-fuelled vehicles that previously worked on the mine, each of which were responsible for a massive one million litres of emissions a year.

“Mining operations and production have a growing part to play in helping the world reach its net-zero goals,” comments Johannes Lorenz, Director of Marketing and Sales at NPROXX. “To see this project materialise and actively change the landscape of such an energy-hungry industry is hugely exciting. This is the type of work that we at NPROXX seek to get involved with, in order to assist global decarbonisation through hydrogen innovation.”

A part of Anglo American’s FutureSmart Mining™ initiative, this innovation-led project combines technology and digitalisation to help achieve their goal of carbon-neutral operations by 2040. “We believe that the emerging hydrogen sector has the potential to dramatically improve the growth and development of many economies by creating new industrial value chains and economic generation opportunities,” says Duncan Wanblad, Anglo American’s Chief Executive. “Growing the hydrogen economy with the help of partners like NPROXX is revolutionising not just Anglo American’s operations, but all mining and many other industries – ultimately shaping a better, cleaner world.”

A pioneering partnership

NPROXX has worked alongside Anglo American and a number of other leading engineering and technology companies to help bring this project to fruition. Over the course of the last year, this partnership has achieved:

• The design, build, and testing of a battery pack and multiple-fuel cell haul truck system, capable of producing a combined total power of 2MW.
• The implementation of a software solution to safely manage power flow between the fuel cells, batteries, and vehicle drivetrain.
• The total development of the power management and battery systems, enabling the creation of a mine-tailored system and improving overall efficiency.
• The manufacture of a on-site hydrogen production, storage, and refuelling complex that incorporates the largest electrolyser in Africa and a solar plant to support operations.

Find out more about NPROXX’s innovative work in hydrogen-powered vehicles, or see how you could help us pioneer further in a career in hydrogen.

In a world with heightening climate and resource crises, clean hydrogen is a compelling solution for the future of energy. The increasing need for technology that effectively utilises the power of H₂ has prompted NPROXX to consider new ventures, leading to the decision to expand into the United States of America.

With many benefits to the country’s infrastructure, significant potential for profitable business ventures has been identified in the new market. “The US is primed for hydrogen generation and technology expansion, simply due to the amount of space and natural resources available across the country,” explains Michael Himmen, Managing Director of Sales at NPROXX. “Good amounts of sunlight and enough water, paired with its expansive size and easy cross-continent access make America the ideal place to produce and distribute hydrogen from.”

Another beneficial factor of NPROXX spreading their operations into America is more supportive vehicle regulations. When designing and building hydrogen-powered vehicles, especially in Europe, design development can be limited by the restrictions of road vehicle size. The US has different laws pertaining to truck body length, meaning there is heightened capacity for hydrogen storage on truck designs, and therefore further energy capabilities. This creates an opening for NPROXX to manufacture more efficient vehicles that can embark on longer haul journeys.

Further opportunities for hydrogen in this fruitful market are being facilitated by the US Government. An announcement earlier this year revealed plans to invest $8 billion into Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs as a part of their clean hydrogen initiative. This investment marks the country’s shift towards alternative energy and represents the wealth of business prospects available for innovative companies such as NPROXX.

With regard to how NPROXX will break into the market, approaching business in North America could be achieved by gaining access to an already established site. “Our shareholders, Cummins, own a lot of existing facilities in the US,” says Himmen. “Some of this floor space could potentially be made available to house NPROXX North America.” By 2030, Cummins plan to increase their business activity by 1000% – this company goal offers a great opportunity for NPROXX to grow with the shareholder and capitalise on the increased demand in the market.

NPROXX aims to find a location and establish a base for their North American operations by the end of 2023. To find out more about the technologies that will be developed in new and existing markets, please read more about the heavy-duty vehicles we work on.

Ecogenium is a student team from RWTH Aachen University working on hydrogen mobility projects. NPROXX has recently signed a sponsorship contract with the team to support  their current goal: designing, developing and building a hydrogen-powered vehicle to compete in the annual Shell Eco-marathon.

The Eco-marathon is a race in energy optimisation – pitting the world’s brightest prospects against each other to encourage them to go further with clean energy technology. Ecogenium’s Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) will compete in the Shell Eco-marathon, which will be held in Assen, Netherlands, between 31^st May and 3^rd June 2022. The winner of this event will hold the title of most energy-efficient Urban Concept in Hydrogen.

The contract between NPROXX and Ecogenium was signed during a visit made by Klaus Peter Kopper, Managing Director of NPROXX Jülich GmbH, to the team’s facilities at the University in Aachen. Sebastian Stender, Project Manager at NPROXX and RWTH Aachen graduate, also attended the visit to his alma mater. “Ecogenium is an exciting project involving some very interesting technology,” says Kopper. “Having the team based at Aachen, which closely neighbours both NPROXX sites, means we can provide optimal support to the students in their work with hydrogen.”

“We are very pleased to welcome NPROXX as a sponsor to this initiative,” adds Nikola Viktorov, Co-Team Manager of Ecogenium with his colleague Kristof Scheer. “Without the involvement and partnership of multi-disciplinary energy technology companies, we would not be able to work towards our goal, so we are extremely grateful for support from an inventive company like NPROXX.”

The multidisciplinary team is made up of over 35 students from all over the world, specialising in areas such as mechanical, electrical and industrial engineering and computer science. The individuals involved are studying a variety of degrees at all levels, from Bachelors to Masters to PhDs, and represent the future of the hydrogen industry.

“This project reflects the pioneering, forward-thinking ideology of NPROXX, and is a great example of alternative ways in which we can help to push the industry forward,” concludes Kopper. “We are proud to support an initiative that inspires prospective members of the industry to make a difference with hydrogen and drive towards a sustainable, emission-free world.”

To find out more about Ecogenium, visit their website, or follow their journey on Linkedin. For information on how to contribute to our work in technological innovation in the hydrogen industry, read about careers at NPROXX.

The 2022 Hannover Messe trade fair is the first time this important industry event will be held in-person since the start of the pandemic. Dubbed the “Home of Industrial Pioneers” with a focus on digitalisation and sustainability, the fair is the ideal setting for NPROXX as a true industrial pioneering business in hydrogen storage technology.

Based across four conference stages, key topics such as carbon-neutral industry, circular economy, green hydrogen, IT security and artificial intelligence will be featured this year. NPROXX will be exhibiting in Hall 13, the fair’s largest arena for energy solutions, specifically featuring the Hydrogen + Fuel Cells conference stage.

NPROXX’s Director of Marketing and Sales, Johannes Lorenz, will be speaking at the event. “We anticipate that Hannover Messe will be the biggest event of the year for us,” he explains. “In my presentation, I will be demonstrating the critical role hydrogen is playing in the evolution of the energy industry today and tomorrow. Hydrogen is revolutionising transport and travel and is helping to deliver sustainable performance in other industries too. I will be showcasing the latest hydrogen storage technologies we are producing at NPROXX and demonstrating how our collaboration with our shareholder Cummins Inc. is opening up additional opportunities for our hydrogen storage solutions.”

Lorenz’s presentation in the public forum will be live-streamed online on the event website, as well as being made available on the NPROXX YouTube channel after the event. “Hannover Messe is always an important feature in our calendar, but this year it seems more important than ever,” concludes Lorenz. “The hydrogen industry is at a tipping point, and its place in the future energy mix is now assured. Challenges like the logistics of supply and storage are being overcome. At NPROXX we have established our position in the market as a company that can produce reliable and innovative hydrogen storage solutions at scale.”

Meet NPROXX at Hannover Messe 2022 in Hall 13 at stand D71/1 and see Johannes Lorenz’s speech, titled NPROXX and Cummins: the perfect match for the global transition to Hydrogen, on Thursday 2^nd June, 10:40am CET.

 

 

As Hydrogen’s potential as a clean, renewable and scalable energy source is becoming clear, there are differing opinions in the market over the optimal way to store the large volumes of H₂ needed for various power applications.

Hydrogen is the lightest, and arguably the most powerful, element of all. Considering these two facts, the challenge of providing a significant amount of hydrogen to a fuel cell or combustion engine starts. Therefore, it needs to be stored at high density in order to contain enough fuel within a feasible space to drive a fuel cell in a mobile application like a truck or a train. The two most accessible ways of achieving this are: storing the H₂ as a highly compressed gas; or as a cryogenic liquid.

There are pros and cons of both approaches. Due to its significantly reduced volume, liquid storage can work better when vast quantities are being transported. For example, cryogenics is often considered for the transportation of large volumes of hydrogen, as we see with distributing natural gas from the Middle East in giant tanker ships.

However, this option does not offer an adaptable solution for the modern variety of ways in which hydrogen can be used. At NPROXX, we believe that the battle over everyday hydrogen storage already is, and will continue to be, won by high-pressure gas, stored in strong, light carbon fibre type IV pressure vessels.

Why store hydrogen as gas?

1. Issues with cryogenic storage

As with any cryogenic liquid, hydrogen stored in this way comes with a lot of problematic considerations. One of the major drawbacks is the cost; liquid hydrogen requires well-insulated cryogenic storage vessels that maintain its required temperature of -252.8°C.

2. The cost of conversion

In cryogenics, the gas-to-liquid transformation process consumes up to 30% of the energy content of the stored hydrogen. There are also hazards associated with converting liquid hydrogen back into a gas, which this makes this a particularly unappealing option.

3. Speed and simplicity of delivery

The main advantage of employing a compressed hydrogen gas storage system is that it allows individuals to rapidly refuel their vehicles. With a high-pressure gas storage system, refuelling can be achieved in minutes, while liquid storage refuelling protocols and processes are not yet available.

4. Storage footprint

The storage of cryogenic solutions is even more inefficient and costly. Liquid storage requires excessively large footprints – about three times the size of industry-standard gasoline tanks, for example – to cope with both housing the chemicals and performing onsite conversion.

For these reasons, NPROXX believes that pressurised gas storage is the best way forward. If you would like to find out more about high-pressure hydrogen gas solutions from NPROXX, visit our transport & storage page to learn about how our products are revolutionising the hydrogen storage industry for both stationary and mobile applications.

In 2022, the world is rapidly moving to combat the looming climate crisis. Sources of low-emission, greener energy are becoming increasingly vital. As a result, hydrogen is emerging as a fuel that can help the world achieve its aims. The hydrogen economy is growing rapidly, as necessity drives innovation.

Burning hydrogen is clean and almost waste-free, and it’s an extremely versatile fuel for powering all kinds of appliances, in conjunction with batteries.  “Renewable energy sources like wind and solar power have the capability to meet our needs for electrical power, but we also need scalable solutions for mobility, to replace the petrol, diesel and other fossil fuels that are consumed by vehicles all around the world every day,” explains Rainer vor dem Esche, General Manager at NPROXX.

“What’s exciting about this vision is that, while the core technology is proven and feasible, there are lots of technical challenges and opportunities for innovation that haven’t been solved yet,” he continues. “To achieve this, we have to completely re-think and re-build our energy infrastructure. It’s a massive technological challenge, but one that will deliver huge returns for those involved in shaping the future.”

A dynamic, fulfilling future in the Hydrogen economy

“For an engineer, a scientist, a technician or any skilled worker in the energy industry who is interested in contributing to the establishment of a truly sustainable, scalable and clean energy supply, the Hydrogen business is a great business to get into now. There are some phenomenal opportunities to get in near the start of what is going to be an energy revolution – the Hydrogen economy.”

NPROXX is a world leader in the safe storage and transportation of Hydrogen for use as fuel. If you’re a talented scientist, engineer, technician or designer who wants to know more about working in the Hydrogen economy, please visit our careers page to read about current vacancies.

Despite some disappointment that the recent COP26 talks in Glasgow didn’t deliver the firm commitment to end coal usage that many people had predicted, NPROXX sees many positives from the event.

In the first instance, this was the first truly global meeting of world leaders since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2016. Five years is too long to wait, we believe, and there are strong signs that collaboration between the nations over climate change is now permanently on the agenda. With time running out so quickly, that can only be a good thing.

And for those of us in the hydrogen business, COP26 has been a coming together of the industry like no other. Innovators and technologists operating in hydrogen were present in large numbers in Glasgow, demonstrating not just prototypes and big ideas but production-ready hydrogen-powered products that will power the transport and industry of the future.

So, at NPROXX we believe that, despite some unfavorable commentaries on the overall outcomes, COP26 was a success and will be seen in years to come as a time when hydrogen power asserted its undeniable role in decarbonizing the world in the 21^st Century. We aim to be big contributors to the fulfilment of that role.

 

Photograph: Karwai Tang/ UK Government