The parties will develop mass flow meters to measure cryo-compressed hydrogen flow during distribution trailer filling and vehicle fueling
San Francisco, California & Odelzhausen, Germany, November 7th, 2024 — Verne and Rheonik announced a technical collaboration to develop mass flow meters for cryo-compressed hydrogen applications. Verne and Rheonik will collaborate to adapt the Rheonik Omega Coriolis mass meter to support the growing demand for cryo-compressed hydrogen in the distribution and mobility markets.
Hydrogen can enable decarbonization of up to 25% of U.S. energy-related emissions in some of the hardest-to-decarbonize sectors, including iron & steel production, chemicals manufacturing, off-road equipment and heavy-duty transportation. However, hydrogen adoption is currently hindered by expensive, inefficient hydrogen distribution and storage. Verne’s breakthrough cryo-compressed hydrogen technology enables low-cost hydrogen distribution by maximizing hydrogen density on delivery trailers and minimizing the cost of densifying the hydrogen. The improvements to hydrogen distribution will make the use of clean hydrogen economical for existing industrial users of hydrogen and will unlock new use cases of hydrogen, such as off-road equipment, and heavy-duty trucks. These growth sectors could more than double hydrogen distribution demand by 2030 and enable hydrogen to replace diesel in the most demanding sectors of the economy.
Verne and Rheonik’s partnership aims to establish a reliable supply of proven flow metering to enable commercial CcH2 filling of hydrogen distribution trailers and heavy-duty vehicles. Rheonik is a leading developer of mass flow solutions for extreme applications with devices already being used in approximately 2,000 hydrogen filling stations, and in oil & gas, marine, petrochemical and many other applications.
Verne develops cryo-compressed hydrogen storage systems and densification equipment that converts gaseous hydrogen into CcH2 to fill distribution trailers and heavy-duty vehicles. Verne is focused on developing the full ecosystem of CcH2 suppliers. Previously, Verne announced a partnership with ARTA to develop nozzles and receptacles for CcH2 filling, a partnership with Cryostar to develop pumps for “future-proofed” hydrogen filling stations and a partnership with LifeGuard Technologies to develop flexible hoses for CcH2filling. This partnership with Rheonik is an important next step in enabling commercial use of CcH2 in hydrogen distribution and heavy-duty transportation.
In 2023, Verne completed drive testing of a CcH2 storage system onboard a vehicle and demonstrated a world-record 29 kg storage tank at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, validating the high-densities of cryo-compressed hydrogen. Verne recently announced the completion of the world-first CcH2 Class 8 truck, with drive testing set to take place later this year. Verne is also working with leading hydrogen distributors and vehicle manufacturers to pilot the technology starting in 2025.
“The hydrogen industry is in desperate need of an efficient hydrogen distribution method. Cryo-compressed hydrogen distribution will meet this critical industry need, and reliable mass flow meters will be critical for commercial roll-out of CcH2 filling stations for distribution trailers and vehicles,” said Bav Roy, Verne Co-founder & COO. “Rheonik’s decades of experience making high-quality mass flow meters makes them the perfect partner.”
“Accurate mass measurement of CcH2 in the distribution channel is an essential step in the implementation of CcH2 filling stations. The unique design of Rheonik's Omega Coriolis metering platform offers the perfect solution to the challenges of CcH2 measurement. In partnership with Verne, we will be able to specifically optimize our flow meters for this application,” said Maximilian Weber, Application Engineering Manager at Rheonik.
About Verne
Verne was founded in 2020 to develop high-density hydrogen storage solutions required for deep decarbonization. Verne’s platform unlocks zero-emission operations in sectors including industrial hydrogen use, off-road equipment, and heavy-duty transportation. Verne is financially supported by leading commercial entities, including Trucks Venture Capital, Collaborative Fund, Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, NextEra Energy Resources, United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund, Caterpillar VC, and Newlab. Verne is also supported by Breakthrough Energy Fellows, the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E, The U.S. Army, Alberta Innovates and other agencies. For more information, visit www.verneh2.com.
Company contact: contact@verneh2.com
About Rheonik
Rheonik was founded in 1986 to develop a mass flow meter based on the new Coriolis measuring principle. Since returning to private ownership in 2014, the Rheonik Omega metering platform has been significantly updated and enhanced. Rheonik’s state-of-the-art product range has been met with great acceptance in the market and has opened many new business areas for the company.
Rheonik is recognized as the global leader in the supply of Coriolis flow meters for hydrogen metering applications. As a pioneer in hydrogen flow measurement, Rheonik is constantly developing technical innovations for new applications in this field. For more information, visit www.rheonik.com.
Company contact:info@rheonik.com
