MIT startup says it can turn diesel trucks into cheaper hydrogen haulers; see it at Disrupt
MIT startup LNK Energies is developing a technology to convert heavy-duty diesel trucks to hydrogen using liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs). By miniaturizing the reactor needed to release hydrogen, the company aims to reduce fuel costs and emissions for the shipping and logistics industries.
Why it matters
This innovation could provide a viable path for decarbonizing heavy transport while mitigating the impact of volatile diesel fuel prices.
Diesel fuel powers everything from shipping to agriculture, and with prices hitting record highs in recent weeks, governments around the world are scrambling to contain the fallout.
For now, that’s meant releasing fuel from stockpiles, but in the coming years, the answer might be a new technology from an MIT startup called LNK Energies .
LNK has created a way to convert existing heavy-duty trucks from diesel to hydrogen, slashing pollution and costs while shielding operators from the price spikes that result from geopolitical instability like the war in Iran. “If you look at total cost of ownership of a Class 8 truck, it’s 13% cheaper than diesel,” Alexis Huynh, chief technology officer at LNK Energies, told TechCrunch. (Class 8 is the heaviest category of trucks, including big rigs.)
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in