STONY BROOK, NY – September 10, 2025 – Stony Brook University is the recipient of over $4.9 million grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). These funds have been designated to develop a clean hydrogen research demonstration project for a low-pressure, ambient-temperature hydrogen-storage system to be used at a Northwell Health Hospital site in order to improve resiliency and reliability of a healthcare system’s energy operations.
This storage system looks to address how high volumetric density energy storage under mild conditions of both temperature and pressure can be developed, especially in densely populated areas with high-energy demand and no single system available. This system uses a hybrid approach, utilizing the outcome of multi-year technology development and analysis coming from Stony Brook’s Institute of Gas Innovation and Technology (I-GIT), located in the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center, the New York State’s Center of Excellence in Energy. The large-scale storage system combines hydrogen production and will store it in a solid adsorbent system for facile storage and release of hydrogen on-demand under mild conditions.
This demonstration project is a step forward to store hydrogen in solid adsorbents at scale to establish the process feasibility of such systems for safe deployment. The selection of modular units in the system at the hospital site will attempt to ensure that the system capacity can expand or contract to meet varying customer demands. Once successfully demonstrated, the system can be replicated across several industry sectors including hospitals and data centers to not only store and deliver reliable energy but provide energy 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, PhD, Professor of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering and Director of the Institute of Gas Innovation and Technology (I-GIT), who is also principal investigator of the project. I-GIT has adopted the Power-to-Products (P2X) concept with the aim to produce and store fuels in modular systems with a minimum Carbon Intensity (CI) score, a measure of reduced emissions.
This project will demonstrate a large-scale hydrogen storage system that will integrate an electrolyzer, hydrogen storage system, and a fuel cell stack to deliver power on-demand for multiple applications, such as back-up power and EV chargers. While the I-GIT team that also includes Professors T. Venkatesh and Clive Clayton will provide technical expertise, a consortium of partner companies, Northwell Health, ConEdison, Plug, H2B2, Hydrexia, BrainDrip, are providing over $6 million in cost-share and a host site, bringing the total project cost to over $11 million, and will ensure that the system is replicated for commercial deployment. This project is part of a larger hybrid concept that is developed and patented by the Research Foundation to link renewables with storable energy molecules. This recognition and funding by NYSERDA for this promising hydrogen storage project will help create future systems to produce safe and cleaner energy for industrial and residential use.
“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 Dr. Kevin Gardner, Vice President for Research and Innovation. “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 the Board of the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center (AERTC). “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.”
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About The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) works to promote energy efficiency, renewable energy, and emissions reduction across New York’s economy and energy system. Since our founding in 1975, NYSERDA’s mission, vision, and programs are continually evolving to improve the lives of New Yorkers. In addition to supporting clean energy and technologies, we’re working to advance equity and inclusivity, jobs and economic development, public health, and community resilience through our work. Collectively, these efforts are key to developing a cleaner, more reliable, and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers.
About Stony Brook University
Stony Brook University is New York’s flagship university and No. 1 public university. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. With more than 26,000 students, more than 3,000 faculty members, more than 225,000 alumni, a premier academic healthcare system and 18 NCAA Division I athletic programs, Stony Brook is a research-intensive distinguished center of innovation dedicated to addressing the world’s biggest challenges. The university embraces its mission to provide comprehensive undergraduate, graduate and professional education of the highest quality, and is ranked as the #58 overall university and #26 among public universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges listing. Fostering a commitment to academic research and intellectual endeavors, Stony Brook’s membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) places it among the top 71 research institutions in North America. The university’s distinguished faculty have earned esteemed awards such as the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize, Fields Medal and Breakthrough Prizes in Mathematics and Physics. Stony Brook has the responsibility of co-managing Brookhaven National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy — one of only eight universities with a role in running a national laboratory. In 2023, Stony Brook was named the anchor institution for The New York Climate Exchange on Governors Island in New York City. Providing economic growth for neighboring communities and the wider geographic region, the university totals an impressive $8.93 billion in increased economic output on Long Island. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.
