To underline the challenges that the transport industry faces as the journey to Net Zero accelerates, the sector was estimated to be responsible for 30% of the final global energy demand in 2019, with approximately 95% of that demand met by fossil fuels. That figure has been reduced since, thanks to the growth of renewable transportation solutions. 

Indeed, OneEarth, a leading sustainability research organisation, has identified certain energy delivery solutions that are fundamental to the transition to renewable transportation, which include Green Hydrogen, Sustainable Biofuel and Electrification. 

Through the following examples from our product portfolio, Polar Technology have positioned themselves as a key supplier within all the above categories in the ongoing clean energy revolution.

Hydrogen Storage: 

Utilising existing expertise in lightweight, high-pressure vessels and hydraulic accumulators, Polar Technology have developed solutions in two different areas to address the challenges posed by storing hydrogen safely. 

Firstly, they design and manufacture lightweight hydrogen cylinders that significantly increase the range of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). These cylinders offer class-leading weight efficiency and can hold 25% more fuel than alternatives, which opens up numerous new markets and applications for UAV’s. 

Polar have partnered with leading fuel cell provider, Intelligent Energy, on a landmark application for hydrogen-powered drones. Click here to find out more. 

The second solution is the novel ‘Hydrogen in a Box’, which provides an innovative approach to more efficient hydrogen storage, thanks to significantly increased volumetric efficiency. This is achieved through a design that minimises the amount of empty or lost space within the vessel. 

Polar are currently working on evaluating and certifying prototypes for both 350bar and 700bar applications and are exploring new partnerships to commercialise ‘Hydrogen in a Box’ for technologies in the aerospace industry. You can find out more about ‘Hydrogen in a Box’ here. 

Bio-Methane Storage Tanks: 

In a project that has valuable correlations to our work in Hydrogen, we have partnered with a leading clean energy company to develop cryogenic storage solutions for liquid bio-methane. 

The tanks Polar provide store renewable bio-methane that is captured and processed from the manure produced on dairy farms and are then used to power cutting-edge farm equipment, facilitating a complete, cyclical model for producing sustainable fuel on British farms. 

Battery Enclosures:

To support the move to electrification, Polar Technology develop lightweight composite battery enclosures made from high-temperature materials. These enclosures offer fire retardancy, structural rigidity and significant mechanical strength at a minimal weight. 

These enclosures are enabling major breakthroughs in eVTOL (Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) technology, including supporting the first piloted thrust-borne flight manoeuvres of a leading eVTOL aircraft. 

Polar employ the novel use of materials, coatings and finishes to produce a lightweight product and are able to deliver a fully-integrated, turnkey solution to their customers. 

To find out more about our full portfolio of sustainable products, visit our Energy Transition page. 

Or to find out about how we can enable your sustainable technologies, get in touch with our team here.