Hydrogen Mem-Tech and SOLID Partner to Enhance Iron-Based Hydrogen Storage

Hydrogen Mem-Tech and SOLID have signed an agreement to test our palladium membrane separation technology with their Steam Iron reactor. 

SOLID is a Netherlands-based spin-off from the Eindhoven University of Technology, pioneering Iron-based Hydrogen Storage (IRHYS) technology. 

The collaboration will integrate Hydrogen Mem-Tech’s palladium-based membrane technology into SOLID’s Steam Iron Reactor (SIR) system, improving hydrogen purification and energy efficiency.  

As part of its innovation roadmap, SOLID successfully developed a first proof-of-concept Steam Iron Reactor (SIR1) in 2023/2024. This is capable of releasing 1 kg of hydrogen from iron pellets. For 2025/2026, SOLID plans to develop SIR2, which will feature higher capacity and improved efficiency. 

Given SOLID’s core expertise in iron-based hydrogen storage, the company has actively sought third-party solutions to enhance the system’s performance, particularly for hydrogen separation.

Hydrogen Mem-Tech’s palladium membrane technology has emerged as the optimal solution, allowing for hydrogen separation without the need for condensation. This reduces energy consumption associated with steam generation, making the system more efficient.  

Stephan Laux, Business Development Manager at Hydrogen Mem-Tech, commented on the partnership:  

"This collaboration is a testament to the versatility of our palladium membrane technology. The ability to integrate seamlessly into SOLID’s iron-based hydrogen storage system highlights our commitment to delivering efficient hydrogen separation solutions across multiple industries."  

Joren Koevoets, Business Manager at SOLID, explained the significance of this collaboration:  

"We have extensively searched the market for a competitive hydrogen separation system, and Hydrogen Mem-Tech’s technology provides an excellent match. Its ability to separate hydrogen from steam without condensation significantly improves the efficiency of our system, and reducing energy losses. This partnership aligns perfectly with our goal of developing a scalable and high-performance hydrogen storage solution."

The collaboration begins with a lab-scale test in March 2025. The test is using one of Hydrogen Mem-Tech’s advanced hydrogen separators to simulate different operating conditions within the steam iron reactor. These tests aim to evaluate the membrane’s performance and collect data to model the dynamic operation of a combined system.

Upon successful validation, SOLID intends to proceed with a second phase, and test the integration of Hydrogen Mem-Tech’s separator with SIR2. Further testing is scheduled for 2026/2027. 

As the global energy transition accelerates, the partnership between Hydrogen Mem-Tech and SOLID represents a significant step toward more efficient and scalable hydrogen storage technologies.

“This is an important step to test and validate our technology. The key is that we can extract the hydrogen at high temperature and return the steam in vapour without the need to condensate it. So that is an exciting technical aspect of this project,“ says Stephan Laux at Hydrogen Mem-Tech.