Stony Brook University has been awarded a grant exceeding $4.9 million from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to develop a demonstration project focused on clean hydrogen storage. The initiative aims to create a low-pressure, ambient-temperature hydrogen-storage system designed to enhance the resiliency and reliability of energy operations at a Northwell Health hospital site.
The planned storage system is intended to address challenges related to high volumetric density energy storage under mild temperature and pressure conditions, particularly in densely populated areas with significant energy demands where no single system currently exists. The approach combines several years of technology development and analysis by Stony Brook’s Institute of Gas Innovation and Technology (I-GIT), located within the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center (AERTC), which is recognized as a New York State Center of Excellence in Energy.
The large-scale storage solution integrates hydrogen production with solid adsorbent-based storage for easier on-demand release under mild conditions. The modular design will allow for scalability at the hospital site, enabling capacity adjustments based on customer needs. If successful, this model could be replicated across industries such as healthcare and data centers to improve reliable energy delivery and security.
“As a recognized leader in energy storage, Stony Brook University is shaping the future of clean energy through innovation and research, including in this pioneering hydrogen storage project,” said Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith. “The investment by NYSERDA to support this project will enable significant advances in flexible energy storage that can meet dynamic industrial and consumer demand. Demonstrating this novel technology in a hospital system will ensure that patients and healthcare workers are not subject to power outages or shortages in their critical care systems. This project reflects a collaboration between Stony Brook and seven industrial partners representing the entire hydrogen value chain, further strengthening New York’s leadership role in clean energy innovation.”
“There is a global race to develop highly efficient systems for large-scale energy storage that can operate under ambient temperature and moderate pressures in an off-grid mode," said Devinder Mahajan, Professor of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering and director of I-GIT, who also serves as principal investigator for the project. I-GIT has adopted the Power-to-Products (P2X) concept aiming for modular fuel production with minimal carbon emissions.
The demonstration will take place at Staten Island University Hospital’s North Campus using an integrated electrolyzer, hydrogen storage system, and fuel cell stack capable of providing backup power or supporting electric vehicle chargers. Technical expertise comes from I-GIT faculty including Professors T. Venkatesh and Clive Clayton, while industry partners such as Northwell Health, ConEdison, Plug, H2B2, Hydrexia, BrainDrip contribute over $6 million in cost-share funding plus hosting resources—bringing total project costs above $11 million—with plans for commercial replication if successful.
This effort forms part of a broader hybrid concept developed by the Research Foundation linking renewable sources with storable molecular fuels via patented technology platforms.
“This advancement is a great example of the power of partnerships and the long and successful history of the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center supported by the state of New York,” said Vice President for Research and Innovation Kevin Gardner. “A productive energy innovation ecosystem yields major advancements and gets them to the demonstration phase as is being done here.”
“I-GIT was formed in 2018 in partnership with National Grid, to provide an industry-university collaborative platform and develop advanced technologies for the benefit of New York State customers,” said Robert B. Catell, chairman of AERTC’s board. “The strategic vision of the institute is now paying off as it makes inroads into technology demonstration, in this case with funding for hydrogen storage from NYSERDA. The expanded industry I-GIT membership that now includes ConEdison and VJ Technologies will ensure a pipeline of technology demonstration projects will follow.”