To the Moon! Green Energy Company – Power to Hydrogen – Wins Global Innovation Award
Power to Hydrogen (P2H2) is the winner of the 2022 edition of Free Electrons, a global innovation program sponsored by six global utilities. Free Electrons is made up of six electrical utilities from North America, Europe, Asia, South America, and Australia. As part of the program, P2H2 was awarded $200,000 from Free Electrons. The Columbus-based startup was the sole cash recipient during this cycle of Free Electrons.
Power to Hydrogen (P2H2) is commercializing its patent-protected, low-cost electrolyzers to reduce the cost of hydrogen production and its longer-term storage. The technology is currently being used in the development of a reversible fuel cell for NASA that is intended to be used for energy storage on the moon. P2H2 is also engaged in other projects with the U.S. Dept. of Energy, global energy leader Shell and others. P2H2 technology will enable hydrogen to be produced at a more useful pressure, more efficiently, and at a lower cost,
“To be recognized by utilities from around the globe with a cash prize for the work we’ve done and our company’s ability to collaborate with them and other startups over the past summer demonstrates our growth as a team and the strength of our underlying technology,” said P2H2 CEO and Chief Technologist Dr. Paul Matter.
P2H2’s reversible hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen storage solution is a game-changer for green energy
Dr. Matter and P2H2 COO/CFO Chris Holt have been working for a decade to develop and patent the reversible hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen storage solution. The road has been long, but 2022 has been a milestone year of market validation and exciting opportunities.
“Our hydrogen generation systems are gaining traction with government agencies and the traditional fuel industry,” Dr. Matter said. “The oil and gas industry is being turned upside down. The market wants green hydrogen to replace natural gas and fossil fuels. They want zero emissions and an end to reliance on foreign energy. The same beliefs are gaining momentum in the U.S., as corporations committed to zero emissions.”
Clean Energy Bridge™, an AEM Electrolyzer (Anion Exchange Membrane), cost-effectively and efficiently convert renewable electricity and water into high-pressure hydrogen and oxygen and, when needed, back to power. “As far as we know, this is the highest pressure anyone has operated any fuel cell, reversible or traditional, by order of magnitude,” said Dr. Matter.
“Hydrogen is a great fit for using excess renewable energy,” he said. “As we install more and more wind and solar, we will have periods with too much energy—the wind is blowing, and the sun is shining. You can’t store that excess energy in a battery at a low cost, but you could use it to make hydrogen and store that in tanks until you need it. People who are interested in testing our technology can test it now.”
Accelerating market opportunities
“We have seen the ups and downs of green energy solutions,” Dr. Matter said. “I am always wondering if people are going to give up and go back to our old ways, but this time there is more momentum. We have reached critical mass, and this transition is happening.”
Beyond the moon, P2H2’s technology will be helpful to the utilities store renewable energy for long periods, as well as supporting the utilities’ industrial customers’ decarbonization in the production of fertilizer, steel making, or transportation applications, to name a few.
P2H2’s patented technology has earned a number of prestigious accolades:
- 2022 Enel Green Hydrogen Challenge –P2H2 was recognized in this international competition as one of the leading companies in the world bringing down the cost of clean hydrogen.
- 2022 Free Electrons, a global innovation pro program sponsored by six global utilities. As part of the program, P2H2 been awarded $200,000 from Free Electrons.
- 2022 Berkeley Labs National Energy Storage Summit ‘Most Promising Innovation’
- 2022 Rice Energy Tech Venture Form ‘Most Promising Startup’
- 2022 Energy Tech Challengers ‘Top 10 Global Hydrogen Startups’
Additionally, the company recently announced the award of a prestigious ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency for the Department of Energy) project to further reduce the cost and increase the operating pressure of systems for earth-based applications.
“Companies are influenced by their customers,” Dr. Matter said. “They don’t want to be the polluters that cause global warming. They don’t want to use natural gas that causes global warming. We want a green option. The equipment to make the hydrogen is a big part of it.”
