Hydrogen is emerging as the corner stone in the future of sustainability, offering a promising energy solution that has the potential to revolutionize key sectors, from mobility and transport to industry and power generation. As an energy source, hydrogen (H₂) could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, playing a crucial role in the fight against climate change while also improving air quality in densely populated urban areas. However, unlocking hydrogen’s full potential in a sustainable economy requires overcoming several technical and economic challenges. These include developing safe and efficient technologies for its production, storage, and use, as well as building an accessible and economically viable supply infrastructure.
En este contexto, el Proyecto HiMugi emerge como una iniciativa de investigación industrial para abordar estos retos de manera integral. Con el desarrollo de sistemas de H2 más eficientes, seguros y sostenibles para la movilidad/transporte, HiMugi no solo busca avanzar en la investigación y la tecnología relacionadas con el H2, sino también demostrar la viabilidad de su uso, marcando un hito importante en el camino hacia un futuro más sostenible.
In this context, the HiMugi Project emerges as an industrial research initiative aimed at addressing these challenges in a comprehensive manner. By developing more efficient, safe, and sustainable hydrogen systems for mobility and transport, HiMugi not only seeks to advance hydrogen-related research and technology but also to demonstrate its feasibility—marking a major step toward a more sustainable future.
The project is structured around three key objectives. First, it focuses on enhancing the sustainability of the design and manufacture of hydrogen storage tanks, particularly cylindrical (or tubular) stacked tanks, by exploring innovative bio-based materials that reduce environmental impact without compromising performance. Additionally, new manufacturing processes are being developed to minimize waste and maximize energy efficiency. Second, HiMugi is advancing research into critical metallic components, tackling issues such as hydrogen embrittlement and optimizing additive manufacturing techniques to produce complex geometries with thermal and leakage control. Finally, the HiMugi Project places a strong emphasis on comprehensive safety, implementing advanced methodologies and digital tools to simulate different use-case scenarios, anticipate potential risks, and ensure safer, more reliable operations.
CIDETEC’S role in the project:
CIDETEC desempeña un papel fundamental en la investigación y desarrollo de materiales termoplásticos y composites basados en la resina epoxi 3R (reciclable, reparable y reprocesable), todos ellos procedentes de fuentes renovables (biobasados) para tanques de almacenamiento de hidrógeno, así como en sus procesos de fabricación (filament winding y ATL).
Además, CIDETEC colabora con las empresas involucradas en el proyecto en el desarrollo, ensayo y análisis del efecto del hidrógeno en las propiedades estructurales de los componentes metálicos. También lidera las actividades relacionadas con la electrodeposición de recubrimientos para mejorar la resistencia a la fragilización por hidrógeno y optimizar el rendimiento de los materiales metálicos empleados en el almacenamiento y transporte de hidrógeno.