14. February 2025in Press Release, Press Release

AMBARtec and Purem: Agreement signed for series production

AMBARtec and Purem by Eberspächer to cooperate closely in the production of iron nugget tanks for hydrogen transport. Agreement signed to prepare for series production.  

Dresden, Esslingen, 13 February 2025 – AMBARtec AG and Purem by Eberspächer intend to cooperate closely in the production of iron nugget tanks and their integration into 20' containers for the efficient and safe storage and transport of hydrogen. The CEO of AMBARtec, Matthias Rudloff, and Benjamin Brenkel, Executive Vice President Business Unit Europe of Purem by Eberspächer, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect in Esslingen on 11 February 2025.  

Picture above: Signing of a partnership declaration for the industrial series production of hydrogen storage systems: Purem by Eberspächer Executive Vice President BU Europe, Benjamin Brenkel, as well as AMBARtec CEO Matthias Rudloff and CTO Uwe Pahl (from right) (Copyright: Eberspächer)

Picture below: (from left): Francesco Moretti, Stefan Müller (Purem by Eberspächer); Uwe Pahl (CTO AMBARtec AG), Matthias Rudloff (CEO AMBARtec AG), Thomas Werber (Purem by Eberspächer) und Benjamin Brenkel (Purem by Eberspächer Executive Vice President BU Europe) (Copyright: Eberspächer)


Industrial-scale production of containers and storage tanks  
 
AMBARtec plans to sell several hundred of its 20-foot standard storage containers per year from 2028. Each contains 10 tanks for the iron nuggets, which can carry the equivalent of up to 800 kg of hydrogen.  
 
The tank design has to meet several criteria: it has to create optimal conditions for the processes involved in storing and withdrawing the hydrogen, the dimensions and weight have to meet the transport requirements, and the tanks have to be economical to produce. "To achieve this, we need a partner with extensive practical expertise, particularly in automated welding and industrial series production in general," explains Uwe Pahl, Technical Director of AMBARtec. "Purem by Eberspächer has exactly this knowledge and already works with the same steel grades that we use for the tanks. The company is also able to set up a production line within a relatively short period of time."  
 
"We see great potential for a future technology in the cooperation with AMBARtec: thanks to our expertise in the field of hydrogen materials science and our industrialisation know-how, we are adding great value to the development of new storage and transport options for this energy source," explains Benjamin Brenkel, Executive Vice President Business Unit Europe.   
 
Cooperation with Purem by Eberspächer in pilot phase  
 
AMBARtec is currently optimising and testing the prototype of its 800 kg storage tank. Matthias Rudloff, CEO of AMBARtec AG: "Purem by Eberspächer is now helping us to gain insights from the pilot phase for subsequent series production and to contribute its knowledge to product optimisation – with the aim of manufacturing the product as economically as possible."   
 
Preparations for series production are being made in a joint project with the TU Bergakademie Freiberg. The Free State of Saxony and the EU are funding this project with around €4 million EUR from the 'Joint R&D Project Funding 2021–2027' programme. As a result, Europe's first hydrogen storage power plant will be built in Freiberg by early 2026.

Pressekontakt:  

Dr. Ines Bilas

AMBARtec AG

Head of Marketing and Communication

Phone:  +49 172 234 11 00

E-Mail: ines.bilas@ambartec.de

Website: www.ambartec.de 

28. January 2025in Press Release, Annual review

Free State of Saxony: AMBARtec receives funding for hydrogen storage power plant

AMBARtec receives funding from the Free State of Saxony for Europe's first hydrogen storage power plant. Minister for Economic Affairs Panter (center) hands over funding decision to AMBARtec and TU BAF.

DRESDEN/FREIBERG, 27 January 2025 – Saxony is funding a joint research project between AMBARtec AG and Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg with almost four million euros. The aim is to develop the technology for storing hydrogen using iron nuggets to the point where it is ready for series production and to implement it economically in the form of a storage power plant. At the symbolic handover of the funding decision, Minister for Economic Affairs Dirk Panter (SPD) emphasised the great opportunities offered by this technology for replacing the energy supply of companies by renewable sources.  

Dirk Panter: 'Technology has a lot of potential to significantly advance the transition of our economy to environmentally and climate-friendly energy. Research and development is the driving force behind growth and productivity and ensures that Saxon companies remain internationally competitive in the long term thanks to innovative product and process solutions'.

Private commitment and public support

The Free State of Saxony and the European Union are supporting this project with funds from the "Joint R&D Project Funding 2021-2027". AMBARtec AG will receive a maximum of €3.19 million. The funding from TU Bergakademie Freiberg amounts to around 659,000 euros. 'Owners and investors have already invested €4 million in the development of the technology. As part of the joint research project, we will contribute a further €2 million from our own resources,' says Uwe Pahl, Technical Director of AMBARtec. We are therefore delighted that our commitment has been publicly recognised and would like to thank the Free State of Saxony for their confidence and ongoing support.'  


A hydrogen storage power plant to demonstrate the entire storage process  
 
‘Together with the Institute of Energy Process Engineering and Chemical Engineering at TU Bergakademie Freiberg, we will continue to develop our proven storage technology to make a 20-foot container ready for series production containing storaged energy of 800 kg of hydrogen,' explains Uwe Pahl. AMBARtec and TU BAF signed the cooperation agreement today. For Prof. Martin Gräbner, Director of the Institute of Energy Process Engineering, the topic fits very well into the department's strategy of 'Electrification of the carbon cycle and hydrogen technologies'. ‘In addition to the scientific monitoring of the pilot operation, the focus will be on modelling the processes involved. We are delighted to be able to contribute to this pioneering technology through this project,' says Prof Gräbner.  
 
We will build our hydrogen storage power plant here on the premises of SAXONIA Standortentwicklungs- und -verwaltungsgesellschaft", adds AMBARtec's Managing Director Matthias Rudloff. Uwe Pahl and Saxonia Managing Director Heiko Schwarz also signed a corresponding document today. We have competent partners here and the necessary infrastructure is in place. We have also tested the previous prototypes here and are using the storage power plant to prove the technical feasibility of an efficient hydrogen-based storage capacity of at least 72 hours in accordance with the draft of the Power Plant Safety Act,' continued Matthias Rudloff.   
 
The oil of the future  
 
With AMBARtec's iron nuggets, hydrogen and its energy can be stored safely and efficiently and transported in standard containers by truck, train or ship. And to any location. ‘This is particularly interesting for the many companies that need green hydrogen for their renewable energy supply but will not be connected to the hydrogen grid, at least not in the near future,’ says Uwe Pahl. ‘Hydrogen is the oil of the future, and with our storage facilities we can ensure that it gets to where it is needed. And not just at some point in the future, but almost immediately and at comparatively low cost,' concludes Matthias Rudloff.  

Pressekontakt:  

Dr. Ines Bilas

AMBARtec AG

Head of Marketing and Communication

Phone:  +49 172 234 11 00

E-Mail: ines.bilas@ambartec.de

Website: www.ambartec.de 

19. December 2024in Annual review, Uncategorized

Thank you for a successful year 2024

The last few months have brought a lot of progress – both in terms of getting our storage system ready for series production and preparing several development projects, as well as in terms of raising awareness, networking and initiating projects.  

This was only possible thanks to our highly motivated, technically excellent colleagues and their families, who support them in their commitment to AMBARtec. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them.  

Many other supporters have also paved our way, from our shareholders and business partners to interested parties from science, the media and associations. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them as well.  

We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy 2025!

For further information concerning our technology please contact:  

Pressekontakt:  

Dr. Ines Bilas

AMBARtec AG

Head of Marketing and Communication

Phone:  +49 172 234 11 00

E-Mail: ines.bilas@ambartec.de

Website: www.ambartec.de 

2. December 2024in About AMBARtec, About AMBARtec, Press Release, Press Release

WAZ: Hydrogen supply via iron nuggets

In the medium and long term, industrial centres are to be connected to the planned hydrogen grid. But how will other companies get the hydrogen they urgently need? The transport solutions currently available such as liquid hydrogen, pressurised hydrogen or ammonia, are not suitable for meeting the high demand. This is due to their low efficiency, safety issues and the high financial and time costs for approvals and infrastructure adaptations.

Read the full article here (available in German only)


The more efficient, safer and immediately usable alternative: storing hydrogen in iron respective iron oxide. The Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung sees this as a way to supply companies with hydrogen quickly and cheaply, as the article 'Hydrogen via iron: Start-up sees solution for SMEs".  

Pressekontakt:  

Dr. Ines Bilas

AMBARtec AG

Head of Marketing and Communication

Phone:  +49 172 234 11 00

E-Mail: ines.bilas@ambartec.de

Website: www.ambartec.de 

25. October 2024in About AMBARtec, Press Release, Publications

Hydrogen transport made easy – AMBARtec presents company video

Watch our video

With our new company video, we are making our process for the simple, safe and cost-effective transport of climate-neutral hydrogen accessible to a broad public. Potential customers can also find out how they can be supplied with climate-neutral hydrogen from 2025 at comparatively low cost – even without a connection to the hydrogen core network, which will not be available for at least ten years. (Video initially only available in German)

The video explains how our ground-breaking technology works and gives an insight into our company. Viewers learn about the many benefits of our storage systems – from high efficiency and simplified approval procedures to the quick availability without delays caused by infrastructure work.  

Press contact:  

Dr. Ines Bilas

AMBARtec AG

Head of Marketing and Communication

Phone:  +49 172 234 11 00

Email: ines.bilas@ambartec.de

Website: www.ambartec.de 

10. October 2024in Meet AMBARtec, Fairs & Exhibitions, Meet AMBARtec, Press Release, Press Release

AMBARtec at Hydrogen Technology Expo in Hamburg

Will we meet in Hamburg?

Visit us at the Hydrogen Technology Expo in Hall A2, Stand 2D5. Find out more about our compact hydrogen storage systems in standard containers, which can store and transport the equivalent of up to 800 kg (25 MWh) per storage unit. Learn more about our technology that allows us to store and transport the energy of hydrogen using iron oxide nuggets.

In addition to the significantly improved efficiency compared to conventional methods and maximum safety, the greatest advantages of our storage units include their immediate availability – without lengthy infrastructure adaptions or complex authorisation procedures  

Pressekontakt:  

Dr. Ines Bilas

AMBARtec AG

Head of Marketing and Communication

Phone:  +49 172 234 11 00

Email: ines.bilas@ambartec.de

Website: www.ambartec.de 

30. August 2024in About AMBARtec, Development, Press Release

Saxony’s State Secretary Kralinski visits demonstration plant of AMBARtec

Free State of Saxony supports Saxony's hydrogen economy.

Dresden/Freiberg, 30 August 2024. Thomas Kralinski, Head of Office and State Secretary of the State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Transport of the Free State of Saxony, visited AMBARtec AG's demonstration plant with a storage system for efficient hydrogen transport in Freiberg on 29 August to see for himself the numerous advantages of AMBARtec's highly innovative technology. The special feature is that the hydrogen, or rather its energy, is stored and transported using iron oxide nuggets - similar to small stones. One of the major advantages of this technology, which has been developed exclusively by AMBARtec, is not only its high efficiency and safety, but also its immediate availability – without the need for lengthy adaptations to the infrastructure and complex approval procedures.

To get the Saxon hydrogen economy off the ground  

The containerised hydrogen storage systems developed by AMBARtec can be deployed quickly. They require no structural changes to the infrastructure and can be transported and handled using standard logistics such as trucks, trains or cranes. AMBARtec will therefore enable industrial companies to supply themselves with hydrogen at comparatively low cost from as early as 2025. This will give them a significant strategic and time advantage, allowing them to prepare for the transition to the hydrogen network. The hydrogen economy in Saxony is picking up speed! 'We have a large number of companies in Saxony that want to use hydrogen in the future and want to gain initial experience now,' said State Secretary Kralinski. 'It is therefore all the more important that storage solutions are already available today to enable companies to adapt to the new energy source.'  

Significant reduction in authorisation effort
The storage material consists of iron oxide nuggets that resemble small stones. During storage, the added hydrogen reduces the iron oxide to iron. For discharging, steam is added which reacts with the iron. This produces iron oxide and hydrogen again. As no hydrogen can escape from the storage systems, even when loaded, and they are therefore not dangerous goods, the approval procedures are greatly simplified. No permits are required under the Industrial Safety Ordinance (Betriebssicherheitsverordnung) or the Hazardous Incident Ordinance (Störfallverordnung). 'We feed the water vapour produced during loading back into the electrolysis process,' explains Technical Director Uwe Pahl. 'Thanks to this closed water cycle and the up to 90 per cent reduction in water consumption during hydrogen production, our unique technology eliminates all requirements for electrolysers arising from the Water Resources Act (Wasserhaushaltsgesetz).'

Successful support of the hydrogen industry by the Free State
In addition to numerous economic policy measures, Saxony also provides its companies with considerable support in the development and implementation of suitable hydrogen technologies. 'For example, we receive support in the area of STEM employee retention and innovation bonuses,' says Matthias Rudloff, CEO of AMBARtec. 'Without these important subsidies, we would not be able to advance the development of storage systems to the same extent, or at least not as quickly, as we are still a small company. We are pleased that the government will continue to support the domestic hydrogen industry in the future.'

Presscontakt:  

Dr. Ines Bilas

AMBARtec AG

Head of Marketing and Communication

Phone:  +49 172 234 11 00

Email: ines.bilas@ambartec.de

Website: www.ambartec.de 

AMBARtec-H2-Speicher erfolgreich auf 250-kWh-Speicherkapazität skaliert
22. August 2024in About AMBARtec, Development, Press Release

Highly efficient H2 storage system successfully scaled up to 250 kWh storage capacity

Test operation demonstrates the efficiency, safety and durability of AMBARtec's H2 storage systems

DRESDEN, 19 August 2024. AMBARtec AG has successfully completed and evaluated the multi-month field test of its H2compact 100 iron oxide-based hydrogen (H2 ) storage system. The results confirm the excellent energy balance of the entire process, from H2 production to storage charging and hydrogen discharge. By an optimal system integration of a high-temperature electrolysis (SOEC), efficiencies of over 80 % can be achieved. When the conversion to electricity via a high-temperature fuel cell (SOFC) is included in the analysis, the electricity-to-electricity analysis shows unprecedented energy efficiencies of around 60 %. The results also show the high cycle stability of the iron oxide nuggets.

Multi-month field test  

Since September 2023, AMBARtec has been testing its 7.5 kg H2 storage system in full operation with hydrogen. The aim was also to optimise the plant control and find the best system configuration in terms of energy balance.  

Maximum energy efficiency: AMBARtec's storage system + SOEC
The energy balance analysis shows that the AMBARtec storage system is ideally suited for combination with a SOEC. The determined efficiency is over 80 % - a very high value compared to other H2 storage systems. This is due to the system integration of electrolysis and storage.

The H2 produced in the electrolysis process leaves at a temperature level of over 500°C, which is also required for storage - this significantly reduces the heating energy required.

The water vapor produced during the reduction of the iron oxide can be fed back into the high-temperature electrolysis. This means that water evaporation is no longer required in the electrolysis process. This greatly increases the efficiency of the electrolysis process.

Use case: Electricity storage
If the SOEC/AMBARtec storage system combination is supplemented with a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), the efficiency for the entire electricity-to-electricity process is around 60%. By comparison, the efficiency of electricity-to-electricity-systems using PEM electrolysis and conventional storage systems such as liquid hydrogen, LOHC or pressurized hydrogen is less than 40%.  
Durable storage material
Examinations of the iron oxide nuggets used show the high mechanical and chemical stability of the material. There are no changes in the storage capacity or other signs of wear.  

Safety concept validated
AMBARtec has updated all tests and documents required for explosion protection. The basic plant safety concept is applicable to all storage tank sizes up to the planned 6,000 litre storage tanks and does not require any significant changes.  

Further development of the system design
The test operation also served to improve the plant control, the heating system and the flow conditions in the storage system. AMBARtec used the results to derive an optimized design and optimized operating conditions for the next generation of storage tanks.  

Outlook
AMBARtec is currently scaling up the hydrogen storage system to a volume of 1,000 litres. It has a storage capacity of 90 kg of hydrogen. Commissioning and testing will take place in the coming months. In the future, AMBARtec will integrate its 1,000-litre modules into a standard 20-foot container that can be handled and transported using standard transport logistics such as cranes, trucks, trains and ships, with a capacity of 600 to 900 kg H2 (20 to 30 MWh) per container.

Press contact:  

Dr. Ines Bilas

AMBARtec AG

Head of Marketing and Communication

Phone:  +49 172 234 11 00

Email: ines.bilas@ambartec.de

Website: www.ambartec.de 

31. July 2024in About AMBARtec, Uncategorized

Handelsblatt: Hydrogen transport with standard containers made by AMBARtec

The intercontinental transport of hydrogen (H2) using our iron pellets offers many advantages over conventional solutions (liquid H2, compressed gas H2, H2 derivatives).

Scientists also favour the method of storing and transporting H2 using the reactivity of iron respective iron oxide – as the Handelsblatt article ‘Wenn der Wasserstoff per Container ins Werk kommt’ (‘When hydrogen arrives at the plant by container’) shows.

You can download the full article here (available in German only): Download

11. June 2024in Fairs & Exhibitions

Green Hydrogen Innovation Congress: Saxony’s Minister of Economic Affairs in dialogue with AMBARtec

Saxony's Minister of Economic Affairs, Martin Dulig (in picture left), used his visit to the Green Hydrogen Innovation Congress in Dresden to learn more about how our alternative hydrogen storage technology works and its numerous advantages. Speaking to Uwe Pahl, AMBARtec's Technical Director, he was particularly impressed by the maturity of the technology and its practicality. After all, the storage systems can be used immediately - without the need for lengthy and costly adjustments to the infrastructure. Speaking to Uwe Pahl, AMBARtec's Technical Director, he was particularly impressed by the maturity of the technology and its practicality. After all, the storage systems can be used immediately - without the need for lengthy and costly adjustments to the infrastructure.
The Saxon Minister of Economic Affairs was also very interested in the various hydrogen storage and hydrogen transport projects that AMBARtec is currently working on with local partners. Ultimately, these will further advance the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy in Saxony.