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BionicHydrogenBattery

Storing and transporting hydrogen with the help of bacteria

With the biotechnological BionicHydrogenBattery system, Festo is presenting a completely new, fully automated solution for the energy-efficient storage and low-risk transport of one of the energy sources of the future: hydrogen. It is converted into formic acid with the help of bacteria – and, compared to previous processes, at mild temperatures and low pressure.

Reliable processes

Bacteria T. kivui are anaerobic, meaning they thrive exclusively in the absence of oxygen. The bacteria would die immediately if there was a leak in the system, and therefore pose no risk to people. At the same time, the absence of oxygen makes it impossible for the hydrogen to form an ignitable mixture. In addition, the system only contains very small quantities of it at any one time.

From hydrogen to formic acid and back again

Bacteria have optimised their metabolic processes over millions of years evolution. We can make the most of their capabilities by combining them with technology. The BionicHydrogenBattery is our replication of the biological process on a small scale; thanks to our automation technology we can now scale it up as required.

  • 1: Propagate T. kivui bacteria under optimised conditions in a bioreactor.
  • 2: Hydrogen is produced from water by electrolysis.
  • 3: Bacteria convert CO2 and hydrogen into formic acid.
  • 4: The acid is extracted and poured into a container.
  • 5: Safely transporting the formic acid to where it is reconverted.
  • 6: The same bacteria break down the formic acid back into its components hydrogen and CO2.
  • 7: The hydrogen is converted back into electrical energy in a fuel cell.

Sustainable solutions for the future

Biologisation means that we no longer just learn from nature, but work together with it. That is how we enable ecological innovations and climate-friendly solutions for the world of tomorrow and contribute to improving the quality of life of current and future generations.

The energy-efficient and low-risk storage of hydrogen with the help of bacteria offers great potential. It allows us to produce and store hydrogen when enough sustainably generated energy is available – for example in summer or in windy and sunny countries – and to recover it when it is needed for generating power.