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Hydrogen Storage Startup Promises Diesel-Equivalent Range, Will Trial Dual-Fuel VNL 760 First

A 2019 Volvo VNL 760 will serve as the initial testing ground for an innovation its developer believes could increase the range and cut the cost of every hydrogen-fueled Class 8 tractor manufacturers envision building as part of the gradual decarbonization of the freight sector.

San Francisco-based Verne plans to offer truck makers — whether they are building dual-fuel, hydrogen internal combustion engine or hydrogen fuel cell electric models — the option of cryo-compressed hydrogen storage to achieve the same range as a diesel tractor.

The startup, founded in 2020, believes cryo-compressed hydrogen can offer a denser form of hydrogen storage that improves vehicle range and payload.
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Read the full article from Keiron Greenhalgh: https://www.ttnews.com/articles/verne-nears-hydrogen-pilot

Verne's high-density cryo-compressed hydrogen technology maximizes storage density to improve range and payload for heavy-duty vehicles

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Edmonton, AB, Canada, September 26, 2024 — Verne and its industry partners announced the completion of the first heavy-duty Class 8 truck powered by cryo-compressed hydrogen (CcH₂). Verne’s CcH₂ fuel storage system maximizes hydrogen storage density, increasing vehicle range while decreasing vehicle weight and storage system cost. Verne showcased the truck at the Alberta Motor Transport Association Innovation Expo in Edmonton, where fleets had the chance to inspect the completed truck. Verne will soon begin drive testing of the truck in advance of multiple commercial pilots.

Verne’s cryo-compressed hydrogen technology involves cooling and compressing hydrogen to achieve the maximum hydrogen density of 73 g/L, a 33% improvement over liquid hydrogen and an 87% improvement over traditional 700 bar compressed gas hydrogen. Heavy-duty transportation is responsible for 12% of global CO₂ emissions, and current zero emission options fail to meet the range and payload requirements of heavy-duty truck fleets. By increasing hydrogen density, CcH2 is the first zero-emission fuel to enable heavy-duty vehicles to meet diesel-parity range and payload.

The first-of-kind cryo-compressed hydrogen truck uses Diesel Tech Industries’ Guardian Hydrogen Diesel System, which is a retrofit of a traditional diesel engine to enable the vehicle to run on a blend of diesel and hydrogen. DTI’s Guardian Hydrogen Diesel System can serve as an important bridge technology for the trucking industry, as it allows fleets to trial hydrogen fueling and driving without requiring investment in a new fleet of trucks.

Verne and DTI will demonstrate the range and payload improvements of high-density CcH₂ fuel with the Guardian Hydrogen Diesel System. Verne will conduct demonstrations and commercial pilots with leading vehicle manufacturers and fleets in Canada and the United States using dual-fuel engines, hydrogen combustion engines and hydrogen fuel cells, as it believes that all three technologies will play an important role in decarbonizing the heavy-duty transportation sector.

Verne previously achieved a CcH₂ storage record during a stationary demonstration of a 29 kg storage system at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and completed drive testing of a fuel cell electric vehicle powered by CcH₂ with a leading global vehicle manufacturer. Verne is also applying its unique CcH₂ technology to hydrogen densification and distribution to bring down the cost of delivering hydrogen by as much as 40%. This novel distribution platform will accelerate the use of hydrogen in several sectors that currently rely on diesel, including heavy-duty trucks and off-road equipment.  

“Demonstrating the first Class 8 truck powered by cryo-compressed hydrogen will be a major milestone for the hydrogen industry and a big step towards decarbonizing trucking at scale,” said Ted McKlveen, Verne Co-founder & CEO.

“Diesel Tech Industries is thrilled to partner with Verne in integrating the Verne CcH₂ system with our Guardian Hydrogen Diesel System. This collaboration allows us to maximize onboard hydrogen storage while maintaining the flexibility and reliability of the diesel engine. The seamless retrofit of this dual-fuel solution—without altering the truck's wheelbase—meets our customers' demands for extended range and fewer tanks, all while enabling the use of sleeper cabs. This partnership underscores our commitment to driving the energy transition in heavy-duty trucking, setting new standards for sustainability and operational efficiency" added Rebecca Goldsack, COO of Diesel Tech Industries, who led integration of the vehicle.

Verne was supported on this project by Alberta Innovates through their Hydrogen Centre of Excellence program. “Alberta Innovates positions Alberta as a world leader in the innovative production, deployment, and use of hydrogen across our economy. The cryo-compressed hydrogen (CcH₂) technology on this truck is an important step forward to broadening the use of hydrogen in the transportation industry and meeting the goals of the 5,000 hydrogen vehicle challenge,” said David Van Den Assem, Director of the Hydrogen Centre of Excellence at Alberta Innovates.

Edmonton Global introduced the 5,000 Hydrogen Vehicle Challenge, which aims to deploy 5,000 hydrogen or dual-fuel vehicles in Western Canada over the next five years. “Verne’s innovative technology and partnership with Diesel Tech Industries is a clear demonstration of the coordinated and aggressive action taking place in the Edmonton Metro Region to drive hydrogen technology adoption in our commercial transportation sector. This announcement adds to the growing momentum behind the 5,000 Hydrogen Vehicle Challenge and is another important piece to the infrastructure needed to support the transition. Congratulations to Verne and DTI on this exciting milestone,” added Malcolm Bruce, CEO of Edmonton Global.

About Verne

Verne was founded in 2020 to develop high-density hydrogen storage solutions required for deep decarbonization. Verne’s platform unlocks zero-emission operations in sectors including trucking and hydrogen distribution. Verne is financially supported by leading commercial entities, including Trucks Venture Capital, Collaborative Fund, Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, NextEra Energy Resources, United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund, Caterpillar VC, and Newlab. Verne is also supported by Breakthrough Energy Fellows, the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E, The U.S. Army, Alberta Innovates and other agencies. For more information, visit www.verneh2.com.

Company contact: contact@verneh2.com

About DieselTech Industries

Diesel Tech Industries, based in Edmonton, Alberta, is a pioneer in transportation technology, specializing in innovative solutions for the trucking industry. The Guardian Hydrogen Diesel System represents their latest advancement, aimed at reducing emissions and enhancing operational efficiency in diesel vehicles through dual-fuel hydrogen blending technology. For more information about DTI and its initiatives, visit www.dtiguardian.com.

The parties will develop high-flow, flexible hoses to support fueling heavy-duty vehicles with cryo-compressed hydrogen

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San Francisco, California & Newton Square, PA July 23, 2024 — Verne and LifeGuard Technologies announced a Memorandum of Understanding to develop high-flow, flexible safety hoses for cryo-compressed hydrogen fueling of heavy-duty vehicles. The two companies will collaborate to accelerate the development of the refueling hoses with the goal of entering commercial production in 2027.

Heavy-duty transportation is responsible for 12% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and current zero-emission solutions do not meet the needs of heavy-duty vehicles. Battery electric trucks provide limited range and add 5,000+ pounds to the weight of the truck, reducing the payload available to haul cargo. Current hydrogen trucks, which store hydrogen as a compressed gas onboard, offer improved performance relative to battery electric trucks but still fail to meet the required range and payload of heavy-duty vehicles. Cryo-compressed hydrogen (CcH₂) achieves an 87% improvement in density relative to 700 bar compressed hydrogen and a 33% improvement over liquid hydrogen, allowing CcH₂ trucks to achieve diesel-equivalent range and payload.

Development of new infrastructure and components is required to support commercialization of CcH₂,and Verne and LifeGuard’s partnership will establish a US-based supply of high-flow CcH₂ safety hoses that enable fueling of trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles. The partnership will combine LifeGuard’s expertise in safety-critical solutions for cryogenic fluid transfer and Verne’s expertise in CcH₂ and access to world class testing facilities. The partners will collaborate to develop and test hoses suitable for refueling heavy-duty vehicles with CcH₂in less than 10 minutes.

Cryo-compressed hydrogen is a platform technology with applications across heavy-duty transportation and hydrogen distribution. The flexible hose technology can be adapted to serve sectors including trucking, aviation, port vehicles, mining and maritime transportation.

Verne develops cryo-compressed hydrogen storage tanks and refueling equipment that converts gaseous hydrogen into CcH₂. In 2023, Verne completed drive testing of a CcH₂ storage system onboard a vehicle and demonstrated a world-record 29 kg storage tank at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, equivalent to the tank size that would be used in heavy-duty trucking. Verne recently announced the first demonstration of CcH₂ onboard a Class 8 Truck, set to take place in late 2024. 

Verne is focused on developing the supplier base for CcH₂. In November2023, Verne announced a partnership with ARTA to develop nozzles and receptacles for CcH₂ fueling. Last month, Verne and Cryostar announced a new partnership to develop pumps for “future-proofed” hydrogen fueling stations. Verne’s partnership with LifeGuard Technologies is an important next step in enabling the full ecosystem of suppliers for CcH₂ fueling solutions.

“The trucking industry is demanding greater vehicle range and lower weight than current zero-emission options offer, and cryo-compressed hydrogen is well placed to meet the need given its greater hydrogen storage density,” said Ted McKlveen, Co-founder & CEO of Verne. “LifeGuard is a best-in-class developer of flexible safety hoses and is the ideal partner for developing the solutions needed to enable a massive transition to CcH₂.”

“At a time when the hydrogen industry is on the cusp of massive expansion, it is critical that safety leads the way. Now, high-flow CcH₂ hydrogen transfer hoses will have the same technological safety features that our CNG, LPG,NH₃ and high pressure hydrogen and atmospheric gas hoses have enjoyed for more than 20 years,” stated Andy Abrams, Executive Vice President of LifeGuard Technologies. “We look forward to working with Verne, a true leader in the hydrogen industry, and to offering this new hose design to our Compressed Gas and Petrochemical customers through our global network of locations helping to drive LifeGuard Safety Hose adoption even further into the hydrogen industry.”

About Verne

Verne was founded in 2020 to develop high-density hydrogen storage solutions required to decarbonize heavy-duty transportation. Verne’s platform unlocks zero-emission operations in sectors including trucking, aviation, port vehicles, mining, and hydrogen distribution. Verne is financially supported by leading commercial entities, including Trucks Venture Capital, Collaborative Fund, Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, Next Era Energy Resources, United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund, Caterpillar VC, and Newlab. Verne is also supported by Breakthrough Energy Fellows, the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E, The U.S. Army, Alberta Innovates and other agencies.

For more information, visit www.verneh2.com.

Company contact: contact@verneh2.com

About LifeGuard Technologies

LifeGuard Technologies is a safety technology company with its headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and satellite affiliated factories in Bethlehem, PA; Ontario, Canada; Motala, Sweden; Faridabad, India and Melbourne, Australia. The company’s patented and patent-pending safety hose technology has become a global standard for all industries, applications and pressures. The company’s roots began with Joe Abrams’ work in cryogenics in 1958 – and today, the company has hoses worldwide in all industries and applications. More than 500,000 hoses with this technology have been sold since its invention including to all Tier One and Tier Two gas companies, making it the ‘Hose of Choice’ for the industrial and compressed gas industry.  

For more information, visit: https://lifeguard-tech.com/

Company contact: info@lifeguard-tech.com

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