The race for lighter, safer energy
For many years, hydrogen has been seen as the fuel of the future, but also as a constant suspect – volatile, difficult to transport, and complex to operate. As of 2025, we are standing at a turning point. Technology is no longer just promising results, it is beginning to deliver them, mainly thanks to advances in solid-state hydrogen storage. When hydrogen is bonded within metal alloys or nanostructured materials, it becomes safer, more energy-dense, and above all, highly relevant for new real-world applications.
What is solid-state hydrogen?
Solid-state hydrogen refers to a process in which hydrogen gas is absorbed into metallic structures such as magnesium-based alloys or other advanced materials, forming a solid compound that stores large amounts of hydrogen without the need for extreme pressure or cryogenic cooling. In practice, this transforms the lightest fuel in nature into a material that can be stored, transported, and used under practical and stable conditions.
The key advantage: operational stability and real mobility
The most prominent applications of this technology are in transportation, from light aircraft to rail systems and maritime vessels. Solid-state hydrogen enables flexible infrastructure deployment, even in locations without permanent access to gas pipelines or electrical grids. At the same time, it offers an effective solution for energy storage in remote facilities such as military bases, research stations, or agricultural projects in isolated areas.
As I often say, energy that cannot move will never truly serve the real world. Solid-state hydrogen is one of the first solutions that combines low weight, high stability, and long-term storage capability in a single platform.
A revolution happening under the radar
While much of the public conversation around energy focuses on lithium, companies in Japan, Australia, and Germany are quietly investing billions in solid-state hydrogen technologies. The reason is clear. The rapid growth of electric vehicles is creating supply bottlenecks for critical raw materials, while hydrogen offers a cleaner and more flexible alternative. Just as important, these solutions are fully recyclable, strengthening their long-term sustainability.
And what about Israel?
Unfortunately, this field has not yet received the attention it deserves locally. There is knowledge, there are researchers, and there is industry, but there is still no national hydrogen strategy. Ironically, a small country with logistical and transportation challenges like ours could benefit greatly from solid-state hydrogen, if only there were supportive policy and a clear regulatory pathway.
In conclusion: solid-state hydrogen is not a distant future, but the closest opportunity to redefine energy storage
Those who understand the potential of hydrogen locked within metal will also understand where the world is heading. This is an industrial breakthrough capable of reshaping the rules of the game. I believe that the most impactful energy technologies of the coming years will not necessarily emerge from the most talked-about sectors, but from materials quietly developing beneath the surface. Solid-state hydrogen is one of them.
