AKROS Energy Inaugurates Industrial-Scale Pilot for Salt-Based Hydrogen Storage

AKROS Energy has inaugurated an industrial-scale pilot plant at the H2APEX site in Laage, near Rostock, Germany, marking the company's transition from laboratory development to market entry for salt-based hydrogen storage technology. The facility, supported by industry partners Evonik and Siemens, was formally opened as part of the publicly co-funded FormaPort R&D project.

The technology binds hydrogen chemically into potassium formate salt through a catalyzed hydrogenation reaction using potassium bicarbonate (KHCO₃)—a compound commonly used as baking powder. The loaded salt is stable, non-toxic, and can be stored indefinitely. Hydrogen is released on demand at the destination through a reversal of the same chemical process.

The salt-based approach addresses key limitations of competing hydrogen carriers. Unlike compressed hydrogen, it requires no high-pressure storage or cryogenic systems. Unlike ammonia, it is non-toxic and non-flammable, eliminating specialized terminal infrastructure requirements. The carrier can be transported using existing bulk-handling infrastructure at ports such as Rostock—the same systems currently used for grain, fertilizers, and minerals.

The pilot plant integrates conversion systems into a 40-foot container, validating technical performance and economic viability at industrial scale. The FormaPort consortium includes Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT), TAB for plant construction, and Hochschule Wismar for process engineering.

AKROS Energy plans commissioning in the coming weeks and intends to scale deployment further. The company will exhibit at the World Hydrogen Summit 2026 in Rotterdam.

Originally reported by Hydrogen Central. Read the full article →