Blockchain Press Releases
Bridging the Gap: Storage & Distribution in the Hydrogen Value Chain, IDTechEx Report
BOSTON, Aug. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — In recent years, interest and activity in the hydrogen sector have accelerated, driven by governments recognizing hydrogen’s role in the energy transition and companies worldwide capitalizing on emerging market opportunities through the supply of services, products, technologies, and projects. While much focus has been placed on the upstream development of low-carbon hydrogen production sites (both green and blue) and downstream advancements in fuel cell technologies and industrial use cases of hydrogen, the midstream infrastructure needed to store and transport hydrogen has often received less consideration.
The development of this critical link in the value chain is vital for ensuring the full potential of hydrogen as an industrial feedstock, fuel, and energy carrier, bridging the gap between production and consumption. A broad spectrum of solutions exists for hydrogen transportation and storage.
This article delves into the subject of hydrogen storage and distribution technologies, examining their use cases and highlighting recent commercial activities in this domain. For a more in-depth exploration of each technology and associated commercial activities, please refer to IDTechEx’s new market report, “Hydrogen Economy 2023-2033: Production, Storage, Distribution & Applications“.
The Need for Hydrogen Storage & Distribution
Despite its impressive gravimetric energy density, one of the main challenges with hydrogen is the complexity of its storage and transportation. This stems from its extremely low density at ambient conditions leading to low volumetric energy density. Consequently, significant compression (100 to 700 bar) or liquefaction at an extreme boiling point of -253°C is necessary to enhance its volumetric energy density for storing and transporting adequate amounts.
Although mature, incumbent compressed gas and cryogenic liquid storage methods have significant disadvantages. These methods are energy-intensive, diminishing the hydrogen’s net energy content. Compression consumes 10-30% of the original energy, while liquefaction can use up to 30-40%, with the added burden of requiring a separate liquefaction plant, entailing considerable capital investment. Such inefficiencies significantly hinder some applications, such as FCEV mobility and energy storage, by sharply lowering the overall energy efficiency. Safety risks with compressed gas storage and boil-off issues with liquid H2 storage lead to hydrogen loss, further exacerbating the challenges. Collectively, these factors make both domestic and international transport of hydrogen expensive and inefficient.
Globally, hydrogen pipelines do exist, totaling an estimated 5,000 km, but their reach is largely restricted to specific regions like parts of Texas and Louisiana around the Gulf Coast or areas in France, Belgium, Netherlands, and Germany. Typically operated by industrial gas giants like Air Products, Linde, and Air Liquide, these pipelines serve industrial facilities such as refineries within a limited range of production sites. This confinement emphasizes the pressing need to expand pipeline networks to connect varying regions of production and consumption more widely.
Hydrogen Storage Options and Their Use Cases
Many solutions are available, but the optimal choice depends on storage size and application. Compressed gas and liquid hydrogen storage tanks will likely continue to serve stationary storage applications, such as hydrogen refueling stations. Liquid hydrogen spheres may be used to store large quantities at production sites and import/export terminals. Established players like Tenaris (compressed gas storage), Chart Industries (liquid H2 tanks), and McDermott CB&I (liquid H2 spherical vessels) already supply these well-commercialized solutions.
Compressed hydrogen tanks, especially Type III and IV composites are gaining traction in the FCEV market, as they are most suitable to store hydrogen on-board of a vehicle. Many FCEVs, such as the Hyundai Nexo and Toyota Mirai, use Type IV tanks storing hydrogen at 700 bar. Compressed storage is expected to persist in many FCEV segments, dominating light-duty ones. However, liquid hydrogen (LH2) tanks present the advantage of higher capacities, which could be beneficial for the heavy-duty segments. Hence, some companies, like Daimler Truck, are trialing the use of LH2.
Storage systems using metal hydrides show promise for stationary applications similar to existing compressed and liquid H2 systems. These systems, which operate at much lower pressures (10-50 bar) and use pressure cycling for adsorption/release, may be more suitable for hydrogen energy storage applications due to reduced energy consumption and, thus, improved round-trip efficiency. Companies like GKN Hydrogen are progressing towards commercialization, having demonstrated their systems in off-grid energy storage and residential combined heat and power (CHP). Many more companies are developing systems based on metal hydrides.
Underground hydrogen storage, utilizing reservoirs like salt caverns, builds on established natural gas storage methods. Integration of such facilities into hydrogen pipeline networks is planned by operators like Uniper and Gasunie in the coming years. Underground storage is expected to play a key role in seasonal hydrogen storage to supply sectors in times of lower demand, like natural gas storage. Underground facilities may also be used by industrial projects as a buffer reserve of hydrogen – HYBRIT, a sustainable steelmaking project in Sweden, is testing such a concept using a lined rock cavern (LRC). However, regulation and long project development times remain key challenges for this storage type.
Hydrogen Distribution Options and Their Use Cases
Currently, compressed and liquid hydrogen trailers supply smaller scale applications like refueling stations or pilot projects. This trend is likely to continue as large-scale transportation where continuous hydrogen supplies are needed may not be viable with these methods. Many types of vessels could be used in terms of compressed gas transport, from Type I to IV, developed by companies like Hexagon Purus. Other companies, such as LIFTE H2, are using trailer concepts to develop mobile refuelers, which can compensate for the lack of a hydrogen refueling station.
Larger scale and longer-distance transport will necessitate pipelines, either running directly from production to end-use sites or feeding into pipeline networks. New construction is planned, with some projects like the HyNet North West Hydrogen Pipeline already underway. Repurposing natural gas pipelines is a possibility but requires extensive simulation, testing, and risk evaluation to identify suitable pipelines. The European Hydrogen Backbone initiative is a leading initiative in terms of developing a large-scale pipeline network, with over 30 operators participating – many of the pipelines that will be used are planned to be repurposed from existing networks. Blending hydrogen into natural gas is also a popular topic as it is a way of partially decarbonizing the heating and power sector, with projects like HyDeploy proving a blend of 20 vol% being safe in existing pipelines. However, a higher percentage of hydrogen blends will require the modification of many appliances and equipment in the residential and industrial sectors.
International long-distance transport may involve liquid hydrogen or conversion to hydrogen carriers like ammonia or LOHC. Liquid hydrogen transport was demonstrated by the Suiso Frontier vessel (built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries) in the HESC project, transporting hydrogen from Australia to Japan. However, this pathway may be less viable compared to carriers due to the technical and commercial difficulties of dealing with liquid hydrogen.
The advantage of using hydrogen carriers is the utilization of existing transport routes and vessels, albeit requiring additional processing facilities. Companies like Chiyoda Corporation and Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies are on the path of commercializing their LOHC solutions. An ammonia receiving terminal is also planned at the Port of Rotterdam as a collaboration between Royal Vopak, Gasunie, and HES International. Many more companies globally are also seeing ammonia as the more viable option.
Future Directions & Further Insights
The global embrace of hydrogen storage and distribution technologies will expand as production and end-use sites increase. This represents an opportunity for product supply, project development, and R&D to innovate and refine existing methods. IDTechEx projects the global low-carbon hydrogen production market to reach US$130 billion by 2033, expecting substantial growth in transport and storage solutions. The new “Hydrogen Economy 2023-2033: Production, Storage, Distribution & Applications” report offers an exhaustive overview of the value chain, including technological analyses, comparisons, commercial activities, innovations, and market trends.
To find out more about this IDTechEx report, including downloadable sample pages, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/hydrogeneconomy.
About IDTechEx
IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Subscription and Consultancy products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information, contact [email protected] or visit www.IDTechEx.com.
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Blockchain Press Releases
MEXC Announces Listing of Hyperlane (HYPER) with a 165,000 HYPER and 50,000 USDT Prize Pool
VICTORIA, Seychelles, April 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — MEXC, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, announced the Hyperlane (HYPER) listing on April 22, 2025(UTC).To celebrate this significant addition to the exchange, MEXC is launching a special event with a prize pool of 165,000 HYPER and 50,000 USDT for new and existing users.
Hyperlane is the first permissionless, universal interoperability protocol dedicated to building a truly open and decentralized cross-chain communication infrastructure. As “The Open Interoperability Framework,” it enables anyone to freely expand, utilize, and customize the network, allowing developers to easily and securely build cross-chain applications and token bridges. To date, Hyperlane has connected over 140 blockchains, processed nearly 9 million cross-chain messages, and bridged more than $6 billion in volume through its Warp Routes.
$HYPER is the native token of the Hyperlane ecosystem, with an initial total supply of 1 billion tokens. It plays a critical role in securing the protocol through staking, rewarding validators for verifying cross-chain messages, incentivizing user-driven activity, and enabling community governance over protocol development.
To celebrate the listing, MEXC will launch an Airdrop+ event with substantial rewards for users:
Event Period: April 21, 2025, 10:00 – May 01, 2025, 10:00 (UTC)
Benefit 1: Deposit and share 120,000 HYPER (New user exclusive)
Benefit 2: Spot Challenge — Trade to share 15,000 HYPER (For all users)
Benefit 3: Futures Challenge — Trade to share 50,000 USDT in Futures bonus (For all users)
Benefit 4: Invite new users and share 30,000 HYPER (For all users)
MEXC has established itself as a leading exchange by consistently offering users early access to high-potential crypto assets. In 2024 alone, the platform listed 2,376 new tokens, including 1,716 initial listings. According to the latest TokenInsight report, MEXC led the industry with 461 spot listings between November 1, 2024, and February 15, 2025. During this period, the exchange maintained a high listing frequency, consistently ranking among the top six platforms, demonstrating its agility in capturing emerging market trends. MEXC will continue to expand its asset offerings and help users seize timely opportunities in the fast-moving crypto market.
For full event details and participation rules, please visit here.
About MEXC
Founded in 2018, MEXC is committed to being “Your Easiest Way to Crypto.” Serving over 36 million users across 170+ countries, MEXC is known for its broad selection of trending tokens, everyday airdrop opportunities, and low trading fees. Our user-friendly platform is designed to support both new traders and experienced investors, offering secure and efficient access to digital assets. MEXC prioritizes simplicity and innovation, making crypto trading more accessible and rewarding.
MEXC Official Website｜ X ｜ Telegram ｜How to Sign Up on MEXC
Risk Disclaimer:
The information provided in this article regarding cryptocurrencies does not constitute investment advice. Given the highly volatile nature of the cryptocurrency market, investors are encouraged to carefully assess market fluctuations, the fundamentals of projects, and potential financial risks before making any trading decisions.
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Blockchain Press Releases
Introducing Clementine Bridge: Citrea Deploys First Complete BitVM Bridge Design on Testnet
Citrea’s Clementine Bridge marks the first time that a fully programmable layer is tested for settling on Bitcoin.
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, April 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Citrea, the first ZK rollup to enhance capabilities of Bitcoin blockspace and enable Bitcoin applications (₿apps), has successfully deployed its Clementine Bridge, the first complete BitVM bridge design on Bitcoin Testnet. Citrea has also recently revealed Clementine’s whitepaper, marking the first real-world implementation of a BitVM-based bridge which extends BTC’s utility to decentralized finance in the most Bitcoin-secured and native way possible. With Clementine’s testnet deployment, Bitcoin is for the first time tested for optimistically verifying a fully programmable layer. The Clementine whitepaper is currently the only documentation of how to use BitVM in a bridge design with clear solutions toward a secure and efficient bridge implementation.
Despite being the world’s largest digital asset, BTC has struggled to build relevance in decentralized finance. A secure bridge between Bitcoin and a secondary layer has always been a bottleneck for using BTC in a programmable environment. This problem has forced users to either keep Bitcoin as a passive store of value or rely on custodians for using BTC in financial activities. Citrea’s BitVM-based Bitcoin bridge Clementine solves this by enabling the safest and most trust-minimized way to bridge BTC and extend its utility to decentralized finance.
Citrea’s Clementine bridge marks a historic moment for Bitcoin and a new beginning for BTC’s utility. “It felt like magic when we saw all the bridge components work smoothly in our internal tests and that any malicious act is stopped by a single honest actor,” said Ekrem Bal, Co-Creator of Citrea. “We’re now ready to test Clementine in a real Bitcoin Testnet environment and make it more battle-tested for Citrea mainnet.”
With the introduction of BitVM by a Bitcoin developer Robin Linus, verifying computations on Bitcoin and building Bitcoin-secured bridges became a possibility. Very soon after its introduction, Citrea team became a core contributor of BitVM and later a founding member of BitVM alliance, where BitVM’s fundamental technology of executing a fraud proof of a zero-knowledge (ZK) proof on Bitcoin was developed collaboratively. Although accomplishing a ZK proof verification on Bitcoin was a prerequisite, there were still critical problems to address to implement this fundamental technology securely and efficiently into a Bitcoin bridge design. A detailed breakdown of this can be found in Clementine’s whitepaper.
Clementine’s design and whitepaper introduce novel solutions to two main research topics in BitVM-based bridge implementation, namely Bitcoin chain fork selection and capital efficiency of operators. These topics have been critical to solve as they ensure both the bridge’s security and efficiency. Citrea’s Clementine bridge offers clear solutions to both of these problems:
- Bitcoin Chain Fork Selection: This is related to ensuring that the bridge follows the longest Bitcoin chain. It has been an open research topic where the BitVM creator introduced superblocks approach but its security was later found to be broken. Citrea introduces a new Bitcoin Light Client design that uses succinct Header Chain Proofs of Bitcoin. These proofs are aggregated by operators into a single BitVM proof.
- Capital Efficiency of Operators: This has been another limitation of implementing BitVM efficiently into a bridge design. With Citrea’s approach to non-standard Bitcoin transactions, operators can now process hundreds of withdrawals in parallel with a single collateral. Disproving only one withdrawal is enough to stop other malicious withdrawal processes.
Clementine’s design relies on zero-knowledge proofs, Bitcoin data availability, a novel Bitcoin Light Client design and BitVM. In the case of a malicious act, an honest watchtower provides a proof of the longest Bitcoin chain. Then the operator generates a proof verifying Citrea’s state, watchtowers’ challenges and payout for the withdrawal. If the operator is malicious, it won’t be able to generate such proof, resulting in slashing the operator. Clementine has three main bridge actors to ensure the system’s integrity:
- Signers enforce BitVM spendings by managing peg-ins through presign transactions
- Watchtowers are tasked with monitoring operators and challenging any malicious behavior by sending a proof of longest Bitcoin chain
- Operators, a group of profit-seeking entities, temporarily cover users’ withdrawals and are later reimbursed with presigned transactions.
Citrea: Bitcoin’s Application (₿app) Layer
Citrea extends Bitcoin’s utility without sacrificing its security. With zero-knowledge technology, Citrea enables Bitcoin to function as a fully programmable layer. With its Bitcoin bridge Clementine, Citrea offers the safest and most trust-minimized way to bridge BTC to a fully programmable secondary layer.
For the first time in its history, Bitcoin Network will be able to support diverse on-chain applications and its utility will be extended to decentralized finance.
Apply to Citrea’s unique incubation program ‘Citrea Origins‘ to build ₿apps.
For more information, please visit: Citrea website | Citrea X Account
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PANAMA CITY, April 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — BingX, a global leading cryptocurrency exchange, announces the listing of EPT, the native token for Balance.fun, for both spot trading and also on the BingX Xpool. The spot listing will commence on April 21 at 12:00 (UTC) while the Xpool launch will start on April 22 at 10:00 (UTC). BingX users can stake BTC and EPT in Xpool, though new users will have an additional option to stake USDT to win a bigger share of the reward pool that includes 2,000,000 EPT Points. The first 1000 new users who stake a minimum of 100 USDT will also be able to earn an additional bonus voucher worth 100 USDT.
EPT is the governance token of Balance, an AI-powered web3 experience infrastructure designed for the masses. This new digital asset will fuel the new Balance Platform to create an open and inclusive gaming ecosystem for both gamers and developers with fairness at its core. With the integration of AI and blockchain technology, games can be built and marketed more easily while allowing players to benefit from the enhanced and diversified gaming experience.
Users of the existing Epal platform can transfer their EPT tokens to BingX, enabling a reliable method to trade EPT or, alternatively, purchase EPT for governance purposes. Having a solid exchange to further explore the vast world of cryptocurrencies, this new listing further empowers both Epal and Balance users in the process.
Vivien Lin, Chief Product Officer of BingX, shared her thoughts on the new trading option and Xpool listing: “I think providing users with these new trading and early investment options is our responsibility as a responsible cryptocurrency exchange since some of our users rely on us to introduce such projects with such numerous functions across multiple subcategories”.
Visit bingx.com to join the Xpool starting April 22 and start trading EPT on spot from April 21. Whether you’re a gamer, builder, or crypto enthusiast, this is your chance to be part of a new decentralized chapter in entertainment.
About BingX
Founded in 2018, BingX is a leading crypto exchange, serving over 20 million users worldwide. BingX offers diversified products and services, including spot, derivatives, copy trading, and asset management – all designed for the evolving needs of users, from beginners to professionals. BingX is committed to providing a trustworthy platform that empowers users with innovative tools and features to elevate their trading proficiency. In 2024, BingX proudly became the official crypto exchange partner of Chelsea Football Club, marking an exciting debut in the world of sports.
For more information, please visit: https://bingx.com/
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