Press Release
Exagenica Research Explores Technical Feasibility of Extending HYDRA Maritime Cargo Versatility Technology to Liquid Hydrogen Cargoes
HYDRA Applied Research Programme Seeks to Realise Economic Transport of Liquid Hydrogen by Increasing Cargo Versatility of Dry Bulk Vessels
LONDON, England. – April 12, 2021 – Exagenica Research, the applied research and development arm of the Exagenica Group, is developing the HYDRA solution to increase the cargo versatility of merchant vessels and enable economic transport of potable water and liquid CO2 cargoes. Both of which have been expressly pursued through applied research to provide nations with improved water security and a greater ability to achieve United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals.
The cryogenic research activities completed to date focusing on liquid CO2 cargoes have also built a strong platform for potentially extending HYDRA’s commercial application to liquid hydrogen – through adaption of the core system design. Hydrogen is increasingly being viewed as a potential carbon neutral, long-term replacement for fossils fuels that can be produced sustainably. Exagenica Research today announced that it has elected to expand the HYDRA applied research programme to include liquid hydrogen cargoes.
Decarbonization of the global economy is one of the most important challenges today. Renewable energy is playing an increasingly important role worldwide as a key technology for achieving decarbonization. It is anticipated that renewable forms of hydrogen will become the backbone of a sustainable, CO2¬ free energy sector in the future.
Currently, the movement of hydrogen cargoes by sea requires specialist vessels – very few of which currently exist. Supporting global movements of liquid hydrogen will require the build of many new vessels. This despite there already being an abundance of ships capable of transporting other types of liquid and dry cargoes safely. The build of a new ship capable of carrying hydrogen cargoes takes at least 12 months to complete – if not longer. The number of new vessel builds required to support the hydrogen economy globally will ultimately slow the rate at which hydrogen can feasibly replace fossil fuels. By extending liquid hydrogen cargoes, Exagenica Research seeks to mitigate the potential risk that the time and cost required to build hydrogen specific vessels prevents climate change targets and UN SDG’s from being achieved.
About HYDRA Technology
Exagenica Research is developing HYDRA as a solution to enable potable water to be shipped economically, from sovereign nations in which renewable water supply is abundant to nations with a water deficit. HYDRA achieves this by dual-purposing vessels, enabling ships - which currently run empty back to point of origin - to take on potable water on the return journey without a requirement to clean the hold between cargoes. HYDRA’s primary application by design is to alleviate global water stress - by enabling cost effective, seaborne water transportation. Thus, providing nations with an alternative to desalination which is costly and environmentally damaging, both in terms of carbon output and its brine by-product.
The application of HYDRA to liquid CO2 cargoes is further being pursued to support the global movement of captured carbon – to sites of storage or commercial reutilisation. By increasing the cargo versatility of existing merchant vessels to liquid CO2, the potential time and cost impact of building CO2 carrying vessels will be mitigated – better enabling nations to meet climate change targets. Exagenica Research believes that HYDRA will be an important enabler in the development of responsible and sustainable traded markets between sovereign nations for water and CO2.
About Exagenica Research
Exagenica Research is an independent, applied research company that focuses on the development of new technologies and bringing those innovations to market. As the R&D arm of the Exagenica Group, Exagenica Research actively targets complex global challenges with societally important themes and aims to overcome them by bringing together experts from a wide array of technological disciplines.
Exagenica Research works collaboratively with leading academic research institutions, governments and multi-national partners and leverages SkunkWorks resourcing models to accelerate innovation - in an agile manner.
Learn more: https://www.exagenica.com/
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Exagenica is an Anglo-Irish, multinational technology group headquartered in London. The Exagenica group is divided into two primary business units: Applied Research and Technology Services.
As an applied research and development company, Exagenica seeks to commercialise innovation through R&D activities – primarily targeting complex and societally important global challenges. Our current R&D portfolio spans a broad spectrum of technology disciplines, which bring together digital and analogue solutions in innovative formats. Our R&D model typically includes spin-out companies for successful R&D initiatives - alongside our technology partners.
Exagenica also provides a comprehensive portfolio of technology services and solutions - to a diverse corporate client base globally. Exagenica works alongside its clients in a trusted technology advisor capacity, through which, it aims to support its clients in achieving optimal deployment of technologies.