New technology makes it possible to store hydrogen in “solid” form. Using magnesium, hydrogen from electrolysis is trapped in metal hydride. This innovation would make it possible to resolve the problems posed by storage (cost, dangerousness), because until now it was necessary to liquefy hydrogen at minus 253 degrees or compress it to more than 200 bars minimum to reduce its volume.
The Franco-Swiss company Aaqius has developed a small storage solution, a kind of metal can, called STOR-H. The process would be safe and completely reversible. Two STOR‑H cans the size of soda cans could give an electric scooter a range of 100 km.
The technology used in STOR‑H will be widely exploited in Marrakech, as the city plans to develop, in partnership with Aaqius, an electric scooter offer. The second most polluted city in the country, last year it recorded a rate of microparticles in the air of 58 micrograms per cubic meter, while the maximum threshold is set at 20 micrograms by the WHO standard.
In a city where 120,000 four-wheeled vehicles and 170,000 two-wheeled vehicles are currently in circulation, several thousand scooters will soon be equipped to improve air quality. And the positive point of this operation is that the energy used to manufacture hydrogen will be produced locally from solar power plants, thanks to the country’s generous sunshine.