Magnesium based metal hydrides have a number of attractive properties for hydrogen storage, particularly the high storage density and the safety benefits of low pressure operation. A hypo-eutectic Mg-Mg-2-Ni alloy has been developed. The material can be produced at a much lower cost than ball-milled materials while achieving a reversible storage of 6.5-7 wt% hydrogen at a rate of reaction that is acceptable for existing industrial applications.
This alloy has been employed in a series of increasingly large prototype systems, reaching commercial scale in 2010 with a system storing 22 kg of hydrogen, appropriate for industrial merchant applications. The technology is also under development for larger scale applications such as refueling infrastructure and energy storage. This paper will discuss the potential applications of these systems and their technical and economic comparison to traditional compressed gas hydrogen storage and delivery. Crown Copyright (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.