Nacompex
Chemical energy storage for industrial hydrogen applications.
Nacompex GmbH is a German engineering company specializing in energy storage solutions through its patented FEREDOX technology. This process involves the indirect chemical storage of hydrogen through reversible redox reactions with special iron masses, allowing for storage at ambient pressure and temperature. The technology, a modernization of a concept from the 1970s, is designed for industrial applications such as bulk hydrogen storage, decentralized power storage, and the conversion of CO2 into synthesis gas for renewable fuels. The company operates as a technology provider, offering basic engineering, know-how transfer, and licensing rights for its FEREDOX technology.
Based in Dresden, Germany, Nacompex develops reference plants for industrial use at its test site at the Deutsches Brennstoff Institut. In September 2021, the German integrated energy company Mabanaft acquired an equity stake in Nacompex, a move aligned with Mabanaft's Sustainable Fuels Strategy and its ongoing hydrogen and power-to-liquid projects. This partnership aims to develop an innovative, decentralized system for storing and transporting hydrogen. According to Managing Director Claudia Hain, the technology stores the energy of hydrogen in iron pellets cost-effectively and reliably, with a high energy density.
As part of the "FutureHDrive" project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Nacompex is scaling its technology to a 1 MWh standard module for hydrogen storage. This system is being developed as a stationary container with the potential for integration into rail vehicles. The company is also collaborating with the Dresden University of Technology on a research facility to test the performance of the iron-filled storage containers.
Keywords: chemical hydrogen storage, FEREDOX, redox reaction, iron pellets, energy storage, power-to-x, decentralized power, hydrogen transport, CO2 conversion, synthesis gas, renewable fuels, basic engineering, technology licensing, Mabanaft, FutureHDrive, energy conversion chain, iron-based storage, high density storage, ambient pressure storage