Development and validation of a new magnetocaloric high-performance hydrogen liquefier prototype

HyLICAL will contribute to reaching an energy demand of 8 kWh/kg and a liquefaction cost of <1.5 €/kg as targeted in the call by validating an innovative and energy-efficient liquefier prototype for the cryogenic region (< 120 K) based on magnetic refrigeration. The implementation of the magnetocaloric hydrogen liquefaction (MCHL) technology developed in HyLICAL offers the following perspectives: i) Increased energy efficiency of >20% for small liquefaction volumes of <5 tonnes per day (TPD) and up to 50% for >5 TPD; ii) Reduced capital expenditures (CAPEX) and operating expenses (OPEX) by at least 20% in addition to the targeted energy savings; iii) Decentralized (local) production of liquid hydrogen (LH2), thus reducing the need for distribution and transport across long distances; iv) Coupling of the MCHL technology to hydrogen production from renewables (green hydrogen) for off-grid configurations; v) Integration into conventional liquefaction plants to increase their overall energy efficiency; vi) Application of the process for the liquefaction of hydrogen and for boil-off management of LH2 tanks.

The MCHL technology will enable the decentralized production of green LH2, in competition with LH2 from fossil sources, and will furthermore reduce the need to transport LH2 over large distances if there is a local green energy source available (e.g., bio-based or electricity from renewables). We will drive the Technology Relevance Level for MCHL technology from initially TRL 3 to TRL 5 at project end. This will be achieved by significantly increasing the liquefaction capacity of the demonstrator from the current SoA (<1 kg/day) to close to 100 kg/day. We will demonstrate that there are no intrinsic limitations that prevent the MCHL technology from being scaled up to suit flowrates above 100 TPD, as highlighted in the call, thus satisfying the need for large-scale production capacities needed in the heavy-duty mobility sector and elsewhere.