Rome, 27 January 2025 - 01GREEN, a start-up created to revolutionise the storage and transport of hydrogen, has successfully concluded a 300,000 euro pre-seed investment round. The investment was fully subscribed by Tech4Planet, the National Technology Transfer Hub for Sustainability promoted by CDP Venture Capital.

Thanks to the new resources, 01GREEN will be able to proceed with a proof of concept, and thus start the development of the prototype container for the safe storage and transport of solid-state hydrogen through advanced doped magnesium technology.

SAFETEASY aims to solve one of the main challenges concerning hydrogen logistics. This innovation offers significant advantages over conventional methods, providing higher storage density, greater safety and lower costs, while at the same time maintaining the system at ambient temperature and pressure. It also makes transport over long distances, by sea or rail, more practical and flexible.

Covered by an industrial invention patent, the SAFETEASY system is the result of a significant metal 3D printing innovation process of 3D4MEC Srl and was developed by Andrea Gatto and Ivano Corsini.

Andrea Gatto, Scientific Head of the SAFETEASY project, is a Full Professor of Mechanical Technology and Production Systems at the Enzo Ferrari Department of Engineering at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and Honorary Professor at the University of Transylvania in Brasov.

Ivano Corsini, Chairman and Managing Director of 01GREEN, has been involved in mechanics and mechatronics in all its facets for around 40 years, starting with subcontracting and ending with metal 3D printing. In 2016 he founded 3D4MEC Srl, the first Italian company to produce and sell specialised 3D printers for metals: 3D4STEEL for processing steel, and 3D4BRASS, the world's first 3D printer capable of processing brass. 

In recent years Andrea Gatto and Ivano Corsini have dedicated themselves to the development of additive manufacturing machines for special metals and alloys such as high-zinc brass, high-carbon steel, tantalum and magnesium.

"We’re thrilled to stand alongside 01GREEN and witness the launch of development of the SAFETEASY system prototype, a revolutionary technology for the safe storage and transport of solid-state hydrogen", said Claudia Pingue, Senior Partner and Manager of the Technology Transfer Fund at CDP Venture Capital. "We’re proud to support an innovation of this scale, which promises to make hydrogen transport more practical and flexible, with a significant impact on the energy transition".

The mission: 01GREEN’s objective is to push the limits of hydrogen storage, offering a safe, efficient and sustainable solution using innovative magnesium hydride container technology. Leveraging its unique expertise in both engineering and additive manufacturing, it is able to develop containers that significantly improve the efficiency of hydrogen storage and transport.

The industry: 01GREEN SRL wants to revolutionise the energy storage industry, with the ultimate goal of accelerating the global transition to clean, sustainable energy sources. We recognise hydrogen as the energy carrier of the future, but are aware of the challenges hindering its large-scale adoption, mainly related to storage and transport. Our solution aims to overcome these obstacles, making hydrogen a viable and affordable choice for a wide range of energy applications. Driven by the goal of reducing the global carbon footprint and promoting the use of clean energy, we are committed to revolutionising the field of hydrogen storage. Our vision is to facilitate a future where hydrogen is easily accessible, storable and transportable, making it a primary energy source for a variety of applications.

Areas of use: The target sectors are the manufacturers of motor vehicles in general, buses, minibuses and school buses, trucks, special vehicles, earthmoving machines. Other areas of use include aerospace, defence, marine/naval, rail, turbines and generators and last but not least energy storage and distribution in areas with logistical issues.