First Hydrozine generator delivered

Odorless, completely silent, durable, safe, and widely applicable. These are just a few of the advantages of the Hydrozine generator that DENS developed. The first generator will be put to use by F&L Powerrental. An important step, because this generator is not only suitable for use in areas where there is no network connection, but also in inner-city areas and in projects where high demands are made on low-emission realization.

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Developments at DENS (Dutch Energy Solutions) anticipated economic demand. When only a few people were involved in the electrification of construction equipment, Max Aerts, co-founder of DENS, was captivated by 'formic acid technology'. "I was still at Eindhoven University of Technology (2015) when I came into contact with Hydrozine technology. We immediately saw its potential," he says. "Using hydrogen as a sustainable fuel is not new in itself, but it has limitations. We make the storage of hydrogen safer and more efficient by converting the gas for storage to formic acid. In the generator itself, it is then converted back to hydrogen and then to current." A process that also has many capacity advantages. "One generator has a tank capacity comparable to twenty hydrogen gas bundles, or 320 bottles."

Hydrozine is a reliable power solution

During the pilots, it became clear how large the capacity was. The large Hydrozine tank provided BAM Infra - without refueling with formic acid - enough power for two weeks for the renovation of the N211 near The Hague. It was this reliability that gave F&L Powerrental enough confidence to become the first buyer in the rental industry. Ralph van Veen also sees the added value for his company: "By purchasing the Hydrozine generator, we not only create a unique market position for F&L Powerrental, but we also have a widely usable stable sustainable power supply at home. you are still dependent on the location and weather influences. Hydrozine provides a much more stable power supply, especially on construction sites, because all the equipment is charged there at night." Add to that the fact that the Hydrozine generator is very quiet and the possibilities are on the horizon. Such as with Natura 2000 areas where you do not want to disturb the peace and nature. Inner-city activities where you want to prevent stench and noise nuisance and in civil engineering projects where there is no grid connection and where emission-free working is the motto.

Fast adaptation

The new technology also prompted Ralph to think about his business model.

"This is a unique, new, and innovative generator that includes a unique market proposition. That is why we do not charge a rental price, our customers pay only for use. Simply per kWh. There will be a standard rate for use between 600 and 1500 kWh and a low rate from 1500 kWh, which also lowers the threshold."

However, F&L will not be the sole owner of the Hydrozine generator for long. "Next year we'll be supplying nine Hydrozine generators, several of which to F&L," Max adds. "That does not alter the fact that this moment when we hand over our product to the market, is a very special one. Our generator goes into the field, the customer gets to work with it. Moreover, I think that we offer a substantial solution for an emission-free construction sector: a fast, reliable, and non-location-specific solution for running electrically."

Groene Koers: We will continue to monitor these developments. Emission-free working is only possible if the facilities on the construction site are also in order.

De Groene Koers, Katja van Roosmalen