“We are helping to create an industry that is more innovative, competitive and better equipped to meet the challenges of the energy transition”
The ONTZHI-II initiative takes another step towards bringing innovation to industry
The second meeting of the Industrial Advisory Committee was attended by companies such as Tubos Reunidos, ULMA, TAMOIN and MUGAPE, among others, together with project partners such as TECNALIA; ONTZHI-II is entering its final phase, strengthening its links with the companies.
This meeting marks the start of a new phase in which companies will play an even more active role in steering the project’s results towards practical applications.
Closer to the industrial reality
In this final phase, the main aim is clear: to ensure that research is not confined to the laboratory, but is actually used and applied in industry.
- The Industry Advisory Committee plays a key role in this regard. Its role is to help identify how the results can be applied in real-life situations, identify potential problems when implementing them, and propose specific uses that add value to companies.
- This collaboration will help ensure that the project meets the real needs of the Basque industrial sector.
Advances in hydrogen materials and solutions
The meeting also included a presentation on the progress made so far across the project’s various areas of work. One of the key advances focuses on the development of protective coatings for metallic materials. These coatings act as a sort of “protective layer” that prevents hydrogen from damaging the materials, which is key to ensuring that they are safe and durable. Initial results show that these solutions work well and hold up under demanding conditions
- A presentation of actual samples of these materials, which have already been tested in the laboratory, demonstrated their validity and that advances are not merely theoretical.
- Progress has been made in developing lighter, more durable tanks for transporting compressed hydrogen, which could be used in vehicles and new pipeline solutions to transport hydrogen safely.
- The project is using artificial intelligence to gain a better understanding of how hydrogen interacts with materials, which will make it possible to design more effective solutions in the future.
A decisive step towards actual implementation
ONTZHI-II is entering a crucial phase thanks to these developments. Over the coming months, the challenge will be to turn all this knowledge into practical solutions.
Collaboration between researchers and companies will be key to achieving this.