Pune: In a significant boost to India’s clean energy ambitions,
researchers at MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) have pioneered a safer and
more cost-effective technology to transport hydrogen — a fuel poised to play a
crucial role in decarbonizing the economy. The team has successfully engineered
a Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC) system capable of transporting
hydrogen in a stable liquid form that is non-flammable, non-explosive, and
manageable at normal temperature and pressure. This breakthrough effectively
removes one of the biggest barriers slowing the widespread use of hydrogen in
India.
Prof. (Dr.)
Rajib Kumar Sinharay, Principal Investigator, said:
“The first fifty days showed no reaction at all, but we refused to step
back. Nearly ten months and close to a hundred trials later, we crossed a
milestone that had never been achieved anywhere. Building an entire methodology
from scratch was challenging, but it proved that persistent science always pays
off.”
The innovation
began when Ohm Cleantech Private Limited (OCPL) approached MIT-WPU to solve a
challenge that had remained unsolved at major institutions, including IITs.
There was no existing documented methodology worldwide, meaning the research
team had to conceptualize and build the entire process from scratch. Prof.
(Dr.) Rajib Kumar Sinharay, Principal Investigator, described the initial
months as a test of resolve, since nearly fifty days of experimentation showed
no visible reaction. However, sustained scientific determination paid off, and
after nearly ten months and close to a hundred trials, the team achieved a
major milestone. Details of the proprietary method remain confidential as OCPL
advances international patent filings.
Mr. Siddharth
Mayur, founder of OCPL informed “the
innovation began when Ohm Cleantech Private Limited, which us a Part of h2e
Power Group, approached MIT-WPU to solve a challenge that had remained
unsolved. There was no existing documented methodology in India, which meant
the research team had to conceptualize and build the entire process from
scratch along with the OCPL team. The progress achieved here marks a major step
forward for safe, Innovative, cost effective and scalable hydrogen transport,
and strengthens our efforts as we move ahead with international patent filings.
OCPL is excited to take this research forward and make a commercial product,
which is in line with the National Green Hydrogen Mission & The Vision of
AtmaNirbharBharat as Envisaged by our Honorable Prime Minister Shri. Narendra
Modi ji.”
Hydrogen,
despite being one of the cleanest fuel options available, has been difficult to
integrate into energy systems due to its highly explosive nature and the
extreme conditions required for transport. Currently, hydrogen is either
compressed into high-pressure cylinders exceeding hundreds of times atmospheric
pressure or liquefied at temperatures below minus 253 degrees Celsius. Both
methods demand complex infrastructure, heavy safety protections, and high
investment, making hydrogen transportation one of the most critical cost
hurdles in its supply chain.
MIT-WPU’s LOHC
innovation solves these issues through a two-stage chemical process. In the
hydrogenation phase, hydrogen is bonded into a specially designed organic
liquid, transforming the gas into a safer liquid form for easier storage and
transport. In the dehydrogenation phase, the hydrogen is released at the final
destination, while the carrier liquid remains reusable. The simplicity of
handling this hydrogen-rich liquid means it can be moved through existing fuel
tankers, storage containers, and potentially even standard pipeline networks —
drastically lowering operational cost and transport risks.
The results
obtained during laboratory trials place India at the forefront of LOHC
advancements. The MIT-WPU team achieved complete hydrogen storage in just two
hours, significantly faster than the eighteen hours reported in other studies
globally. The process operated at only 130 degrees Celsius — compared to the
usual 170 degrees Celsius — and at a relatively low pressure of 56 bar. The
hydrogenated liquid was able to store nearly 11,000 litres of hydrogen within
just 15.6 litres of the carrier. In dehydrogenation experiments, the team
successfully recovered 86 percent of the stored hydrogen, with further research
underway to improve efficiency.
Prof. Datta
Dandge, Research Advisor, said: “The ability to
transport hydrogen like any other industrial liquid removes long-standing
safety and regulatory barriers. This breakthrough can accelerate the entire
hydrogen mission for the country and reshape clean-energy logistics for
transport and heavy industry.”
According to
Prof. Datta Dandge, Research Advisor, this technology has the potential to
transform clean energy logistics in India. He emphasized that the ability to
transport hydrogen like any other industrial liquid removes long-standing
safety roadblocks and regulatory complexities, making hydrogen more accessible
as a future fuel for transport and heavy industry.
The research was
conducted in MIT-WPU’s advanced hydrogen laboratory equipped with an autoclave
system capable of operating at 350 degrees Celsius and pressures up to 200 bar.
The team continues to refine the process with the goal of scaling from laboratory
success to industrial deployment.
Project
Fellow and Ph.D student at MIT-WPU Nishant Patil
shared: “Working on a breakthrough with national
impact has been a defining experience. It strengthened my resolve to contribute
to innovations that can shape India’s clean-energy future.”
For Project
Fellow Nishant Patil, who contributed directly to the development, this project
has been a defining learning experience. He shared that working on a
breakthrough with national impact reinforced his commitment to pursuing
innovation in India’s evolving clean energy landscape.