In Brief

  • Challenge: 2050 Challenge
  • Challenge Type: National Challenge Fund
  • Status: Active

The Challenge

Ireland has the potential to tap into all the benefits of renewable energy, for our electricity and for producing hydrogen without the release of carbon dioxide. But hydrogen must be stored before use, which can be difficult and expensive. This makes it less attractive for use in heavy goods vehicles, for example.

The Solution

The project aims to technically advance/optimise the "Renewable Energy Storage Reactor" (RESR) with using patent-protected catalysts, processes and technology that vastly increase the energy storage density of green-produced hydrogen. The team intends to enhance the utilisation of hydrogen storage media with increased safety and reliability by developing and/or upgrading the lightweight prototype reactor. We will focus on components that can be manufactured and assembled relatively easily, while enabling recycling and reusability of the energy storage medium, thus establishing a circular economic and environment-friendly process. 

The goal is to build a foundation for the commercialisation of the Renewable Energy Storage Reactor with the development and possible de-risking of the prototype reactor at a practical scale for mobile drone applications with an Irish-UAV company. Engagement with interested partners/stakeholders is essential to scale the technology towards other commercial sectors, e.g. mobile-power applications and power generators and to develop plans to target areas for decarbonisation such as the transportation sector. 

The Team

  • Team Lead: Dr Andrew Phillips, Assistant Professor, University College Dublin 
  • Team Co-Lead: Dr James Carton, Dublin City University 

Societal Impact Champion

  • Anthony Miller, UAV Evolution