Staying ahead of the technology curve means strengthening your competitive advantage. That is why we give you data-driven innovation insights into the energy industry. This time, you get to discover 5 hand-picked startups working on hydrogen generation solutions.
Global Startup Heat Map highlights 5 Top Hydrogen Generation Solutions out of 198
The insights of this data-driven analysis are derived from the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering 2.093.000+ startups & scaleups globally. The platform gives you an exhaustive overview of emerging technologies & relevant startups within a specific field in just a few clicks.
The Global Startup Heat Map below reveals the distribution of the 198 exemplary startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research. Further, it highlights 5 energy startups that we hand-picked based on criteria such as founding year, location, funding raised, and more. You get to explore the solutions of these 5 startups & scaleups in this report. For insights on the other 193 hydrogen generation solutions, get in touch.
Electro-active Technologies develops Organic Waste-to-Hydrogen Conversion Solutions
Today, industries look for ways to transition to renewable energy and reduce waste. Hydrogen is an excellent source of renewable energy with a very low carbon footprint. However, production methods such as electrolysis are not very efficient and result in low yields of hydrogen per unit of energy used. That is why startups are developing hydrogen generation methods that utilize organic waste, enabling both renewable energy and waste reduction.
US-based startup Electro-active Technologies develops an organic waste conversion process that uses livestock waste to produce hydrogen. The startup’s process utilizes microbial and electrochemical reactions to degrade organic waste into electrons and protons. It produces hydrogen with higher efficiency than methods such as electrolysis while being cost-effective as well. The startup’s solution provides benefits to the energy industry, as well as the livestock industry thanks to waste reduction.
H2B2 provides Equipment for Hydrogen Generation through Water Electrolysis
As the energy industry takes a greater interest in the hydrogen economy, it places more importance on the development of hydrogen infrastructure. Currently one of the most popular methods of producing hydrogen is through water electrolysis using renewable power sources such as solar and wind. Companies are focusing on the manufacturing and development of equipment that makes electrolysis scalable to meet industrial hydrogen requirements. Such solutions increase the adoption of hydrogen among small and large-scale industries.
Spanish startup H2B2 designs, manufactures, integrates, and operates hydrogen production systems based on water electrolysis. The startup provides electrolyzers for small to large-scale requirements with production capabilities ranging from 0.5 Nm3/h to 580 Nm3/h. H2B2 provides customized solutions that meet client requirements for hydrogen energy production and storage.
Haffner Energy develops Modular Hydrogen Generation Technology
The main goal of using hydrogen as a source of energy is to reduce the use of fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions. However, the process of transporting materials that are then converted to hydrogen uses fossil fuels and increases the net carbon footprint of producing hydrogen. To overcome this issue, startups are developing plug-and-play hydrogen generation solutions that lower the requirement of transportation of materials to hydrogen generation facilities.
French startup Haffner Energy develops HYNOCA, a renewable hydrogen generation station that produces hydrogen through thermolysis and steam-cracking of various biomasses. HYNOCA features a modular design enabling plug-and-play installation in any outdoor environment. The station’s production capacity ranges from 250 kgs/day to more than 2.000 kgs/day of hydrogen. HYNOCA stations also find applications in enabling hydrogen fuel cell-based vehicles as the stations are designed to feed decentralized refueling hydrogen networks.
HiiROC focuses on Hydrogen Production using Thermal Plasma Electrolysis
The energy industry is rapidly transitioning towards the hydrogen economy due to its environmental benefits compared to fossil fuels. However, popular methods of creating hydrogen at scale are using processes such as water electrolysis or methane reformation – both of which have their own drawbacks. To make the hydrogen generation process as clean and efficient as possible, startups are developing production methods that require little input energy with no greenhouse gasses created.
UK-based CleanTech startup HiiROC develops a thermal plasma electrolysis process for hydrogen production. The company’s process works by deconstructing hydrocarbons into hydrogen and solid carbon, which results in zero CO2 being created. The modular and scalable design of their units allows for small to large-scale industries and applications to utilize this technology to reduce their carbon footprint while maintaining a low operational cost compared to traditional electrolysis equipment.
Unisieve creates Molecular Gas Separation Technology
The increasing cost of non-renewable energy is one of the reasons that is driving the development of gas separation technology. Previous separation technology required a phase change from gas to liquid or vice-versa, the process of which increases the energy cost of producing hydrogen. For this reason, startups are developing gas separation membranes that have a smaller carbon footprint. Moreover, their small form factor allows them to be used in a wide range of applications such as gas sensing, chemical feedstock & biogas purification, and more.
Swiss startup Unisieve manufactures mechanically flexible molecular sieving membranes. Their gas separation technology works on the separation of molecules based on a size-exclusion mechanism. Additionally, the technology allows for precise tuning of the membrane pore size, which increases the applications of their gas separation membranes. Unisieve’s technology finds applications in hydrogen recycling for biogas plants by power-to-gas separation.
Discover more Energy Startups
Energy startups such as the examples highlighted in this report focus on blockchain, robotics, automation as well as renewables. While all of these technologies play a major role in advancing the energy industry, they only represent the tip of the iceberg. To explore more technologies, simply get in touch to let us look into your areas of interest. For a more general overview, you can download our free Energy Innovation Report to save your time and improve strategic decision-making.
