In a breakthrough that could accelerate India’s transition to clean energy, researchers at MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) have developed a safer, cheaper way to transport hydrogen — one of the biggest bottlenecks in the country’s decarbonization plans.

 

The team has engineered a Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC) system that stabilizes hydrogen in a non-flammable, non-explosive liquid at room temperature and pressure, eliminating the need for costly high-pressure cylinders or ultra-cold storage. The advance could remove a long-standing barrier to commercial-scale hydrogen deployment.

 

Prof Rajib Kumar Sinharay, Principal Investigator, recalled the slow early progress: “The first fifty days showed no reaction at all, but we refused to step back. Nearly ten months and close to a hundred trials later, we crossed a milestone that had never been achieved anywhere. Building an entire methodology from scratch was challenging, but it proved that persistent science always pays off.”

 

The project began when Ohm Cleantech Private Limited (OCPL) sought MIT-WPU’s help to crack a problem that had stumped even leading research institutions. With no documented methodology available globally, the researchers were forced to design the entire process from zero. Details of the proprietary method are being kept confidential as OCPL moves ahead with international patent filings.

 

OCPL founder Siddharth Mayur said the achievement marks a strategic leap: “The innovation began when Ohm Cleantech Private Limited, which us a Part of h2e Power Group, approached MIT-WPU to solve a challenge that had remained unsolved. There was no existing documented methodology in India, which meant the research team had to conceptualize and build the entire process from scratch along with the OCPL team. 

 

"The progress achieved here marks a major step forward for safe, Innovative, cost effective and scalable hydrogen transport, and strengthens our efforts as we move ahead with international patent filings. OCPL is excited to take this research forward and make a commercial product, which is in line with the National Green Hydrogen Mission & The Vision of AtmaNirbharBharat...”

 

Hydrogen’s volatility and challenging transport requirements have long hindered its adoption. Current systems require either extreme compression or deep-cold liquefaction, both expensive and risky.

 

MIT-WPU’s LOHC breakthrough sidesteps those obstacles. Through a two-step process, hydrogen is chemically bonded into a tailor-made organic liquid and later released at its destination, while the carrier can be reused. The liquid can be moved using standard tankers or existing fuel infrastructure — potentially slashing logistics costs.

 

In lab trials, the team achieved complete hydrogen storage in just two hours — far faster than the 18-hour benchmark reported internationally. The process also ran at a lower temperature (130°C instead of 170°C) and moderate pressure (56 bar). Just 15.6 litres of carrier liquid stored nearly 11,000 litres of hydrogen. Dehydrogenation trials recovered 86% of the stored hydrogen, with efforts underway to raise efficiency.

 

Prof Datta Dandge, Research Advisor, said the implications for the hydrogen economy are game-changing: “The ability to transport hydrogen like any other industrial liquid removes long-standing safety and regulatory barriers. This breakthrough can accelerate the entire hydrogen mission for the country and reshape clean-energy logistics for transport and heavy industry.”

 

The research was carried out at MIT-WPU’s advanced hydrogen laboratory, equipped to operate at up to 350°C and 200 bar. The team is now focused on scaling the method from lab success to industrial rollout.

 

For Project Fellow Nishant Patil, the experience has been transformative. “Working on a breakthrough with national impact has been a defining experience. It strengthened my resolve to contribute to innovations that can shape India’s clean-energy future,” he said.