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29 January 2024: the "Natural Hydrogen" Trophy
On 29 January 2024 in Paris, two CNRS researchers, Ph. de Donato and J. Pirononin, were awarded the "Natural Hydrogen" trophy at the National Assembly under the patronage of Emmanuel Macron for the discovery of natural hydrogen deposits in Lorraine.
Above all, this discovery is a prime example of a successful link between the world of science (University of Lorraine and CNRS) and industry (Française de l'Energie - FDE, Solexperts). Our Regalor (REssource GAzière de LORraine) project, funded by Europe (ERDF), the State (Pacte Lorraine) and the Grand Est region with the FDE as an industrial partner, was originally focussed on a different problem: the exploration and extraction of coal seam gas in Lorraine.
We discovered native hydrogen not only by chance, but also because we developed new tools that allowed us to detect its presence in the Lorraine Carboniferous Basin. The public-private alliance in collaboration with the company SOLEXPERTS has led to two important technological innovations.
The first is a miniaturised monitoring probe called SysMoG™, which can be inserted into boreholes with a minimum diameter of 6 cm and is capable of continuously measuring the gases dissolved in geological formations down to a depth of 1500 metres. This probe is protected by a European patent, which was applied for in April 2023. The second probe is an exploration probe called GH2asBusters SysMoG™, designed for rapid gas exploration in open boreholes with a minimum diameter of 6.5 cm. Thanks to the SysMoG™ probe, we were able to establish a depth profile of the dissolved gases present in the Lorraine Carboniferous on the site of the commune of Folschviller (Moselle, Grand Est region).
December 2023, BBC reports on the hydrogen deposit in Lorraine discovered with the Solexperts SysMoG probe and the promising prospects with natural hydrogen as a future energy carrier.
Here is the link to the article:
"Could there be a gold rush for buried hydrogen?"
Links to our website:
October 2023, CNN reports on the hydrogen deposit in Lorraine discovered by the Solexperts SysMoG probe as part of the Regalor project.
"They went hunting for fossil fuels. What they found could help save the world"
https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/29/climate/white-hydrogen-fossil-fuels-climate/index.html
Journée Scientifique et Technique du CFMS du 17. Novembre 23, Strasbourg
Esther Huguenot and Medéric Piédevache from Solexperts France will present our monitoring services for various icing projects at the conference.
Link to the conference programme
12 September; Gas exploration in Lorraine continues
The GH2ASBUSTERS team is starting a campaign to prospect for dissolved gases underground on behalf of Française De L’Enérgie compagny in three boreholes in Lorraine. The first sample was taken at a depth of 950 m in a borehole deviated by more than 45°. The operation was carried out in less than 24 hours, using the SysMoG probe.
A gigantic hydrogen deposit in northeast France ?
Promising first results in the Regalor project with the Solexperts SysMoG probe. Many thanks to the teams of GeoRessources and the FDE for the fruitful collaboration.
Media review
- The conversation: How we chanced upon what may be the world's largest white hydrogen deposit
- France 2: Lorraine : l'espoir de l'hydrogène naturel
- La Tribune; hydrogene-un-eldorado-francais
- France 2: Lorraine : l'espoir de l'hydrogène naturel
- France bleu: "It's never been seen before": on the trail of white hydrogen, at the heart of drilling in Moselle
- CNRS: a gigantic hydrogen deposit in northeast France?
- RTL / INFOS: Lorraine, the energy Eldorado of the future?
- France 3-région: extraordinary natural hydrogen deposit discovered in Lorraine?
- France 3-région: This is why the discovery of natural hydrogen is good news
- H2-mobile.fr: this huge deposit of natural hydrogen was discovered in France
25 years of cross-fertilisation between HADES and the Mont Terri Rock Laboratory
Publication Christoph Nussbaum et al; 2023
This publication summarises the main scientific findings gained during 25 years of exchange, highlights the added value of knowledge transfer between the partners and the cross-fertilisation between the two rock laboratories HADES and Mont Terri. Solexperts is co-author of the publication and proud to be part of the success story.
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March 2023, Solexperts wins 2 contracts in Saudi Arabia for the Neom project "THE LINE".
THE LINE - THE FUTURE OF URBAN LIFE - is a revolutionary project that sets new standards in urban development and shows how cities might look in the future.
Solexperts GmbH will carry out in-situ stress measurements as a subcontractor of Fugro and Solexperts AG will supply China Railway Construction Co. LTD with hiDCon elements for a yielding tunnel lining in disturbed zones of the access tunnels.
Cementable Tube Pore Pressure Sensor
Solexperts makes an important contribution to the in-situ experiments for geothermal exploration research at the Bedretto Underground Laboratory BULGG. The multidisciplinary monitoring network is one of the key experiments. In addition to the multi-packer systems, Solexperts has developed and manufactured the Cementable Tube Pore Pressure Sensor, which is featured in a recent article published in the Sensors Journal.
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RASPLAN; moisture measurement in the soil with innovative high-frequency sensors for early warning of landslides
RASPLAN is a successful collaboration between the Institutes of Systems and Applied Electronics (ISEA) and Earth Sciences (IST) at SUPSI with the Laboratory for Web Science (LWS) at the Swiss Distance Learning University of Applied Sciences (FFHS), the industry partners GeoAlps Engineering SA and Solexperts AG and the Office for Forests and Natural Hazards of the Canton of Grisons. The project is supported by the Swiss innovation promotion agency Innosuisse. After completion of the project, GeoAlps Engineering SA will offer early warning systems based on RASPLAN instruments and meteorological data. Solexperts AG will manufacture and assemble the RASPLAN instruments.
March 2023, Final disposal of radioactive waste Germany, Start BGE Research Project "GeoMetEr".
Solexperts AG is member of the project group
The "GeoMetEr" research project aims to shed light on which exploration methods can provide reliable information on the way to a site for a repository for high-level radioactive waste.
Project partners:
Aim:
To develop an optimised exploration strategy in the course of the site
of the site selection procedure. The BGE will already incorporate the information and methodological findings gained into the site-specific exploration programmes for the surface explorations.
Budget : 8.8 million €, funded by the BGE
Project duration: 01.01.2023 to 31.03.2028
February 2023, Solexperts starts collaboration with ETH Juniors
ETH JUNIORS are supporting Solexperts with the launch of thermal leak detection in Tailings Dams Monitoring and programming our Geomonitoring IoT Platform. We are looking forward to working with the young talents.
February 2023, 45-8 Energy and Solexperts launch SurfMoG H2 - a new IoT tool for underground hydrogen monitoring
on the occasion of the hydrogen congress Hyvolution, le salon des experts au service de l'hydrogène in Paris.
SurfMoG H2 is the result of a successful collaboration between 45-8 ENERGY and SOLEXPERTS. SurfMoG H2 consists of a replaceable gas analysis chamber with an electrochemical sensor for hydrogen measurements up to 40,000 ppm (4%), an inox probe specially designed for subsurface conditions. It houses the sensor, the battery and the communication system
January 2023, KaTRIS, Kajima Technical Research Institute Singapore, is a sales and development partner for hiDCon®, hiDSte® and baLCon®.
With KaTRIS, we now have a strong partner to help us further develop and promote our innovative products for tunnelling in compressive or swelling rock, hiDCon® and hiDSte®, and for ballistic protection, baLCon®, in Asia.
January 2023, Champagne in Folschviller, depth record 1093 m with our SysMoG® gas probe.
The latest measurements confirm the results in the other boreholes in the area. The development of SysMoG® within the Regalor research project is another impressive example of successful cooperation between GeoRessources (research institute) and Solexperts (industry) in Lorraine. See video below from Laetitia Vancon.
28 November, Patent application:
Probe and method for gas analysis in boreholes
Within the Regalor project, the SysMoG® probe and the method for gas analysis were developed. Regalor is about the exploration and quantification of natural gas deposits in the subsoil of Lorraine.
Fonts Bouillants, prospecting for helium and CO2 in the south of Nivernais, France.
The company 45-8 Energy obtained an exclusive exploration permit (PER Fonts Bouillants) in the south of Nivernais for the exploitation of CO2 and helium. The characterisation of the gas reservoir is essentially based on production tests in several wells carried out by Solexperts France 2021 and 2022.
The contribution of Solexperts
- The execution of production tests in wells, including the supply and implementation of test equipment and data acquisition devices for real-time analysis of the measured data.
- Automated monitoring of the surrounding boreholes during and after the tests, transfer of the measurement data to an internet visualisation platform.
- Supply and implementation of SysMoG® probes for in-situ measurement of dissolved gases in the groundwater in two boreholes with transfer of the acquired data to an internet visualisation platform.
20 October 2022, Delémont
Presentation of baLCon® (ballistic protection systems) at the Autumn Conference of the Federal Shooting Officers
23rd - 27th October 2022 / Lyon, Frankreich
16th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, GHGT-16
Interesting publication with Solexperts SysMog gas measurements
29.09.2022 / VAHRN (ITALY);
WORKSHOP: NATURAL HYDROGENE RESSOURCES IN THE ALPS – From Exploration to an Economic Production
Hydrogen will become very important in the energy transition from fossil to low-carbon and renewable energy sources. Currently, hydrogen is produced almost exclusively by technical methods that are very energy-intensive. Natural hydrogen has been successfully explored at various geological locations around the world and has great potential to become an important, additional energy source.
So far, several studies have been conducted that demonstrate the occurrence and potential economic use of natural hydrogen (see e.g. Gaucher, 2020, Zgonnik, 2020). The following video provides a good overview: https://vimeo.com/456641451.
There are also host rocks in the Alps where an accumulation of natural hydrogen can be assumed. The aim of this expert workshop is to identify and develop possible exploration and development strategies in the Alpine region.
The workshop will take place on Thursday 29 September 2022 at the IBI Euregio Competence Centre in Vahrn (Italy) and will be organised as a hybrid event.
June 2022, 75 years of Solexperts and 20 years of Solexperts France
The employees of the Solexperts Group celebrate the two milestone birthdays with a lively summer party on Lake Zurich.
April 2022, hiDSte Patent in Japan
In Japan, there are many tunnel projects related to the high-speed network of the Maglev (Magnetic Levitation) project. Kajima, Taisei Kiso and Obayashi, three of the largest construction companies in Japan, have great interest in our hiDSte and hiDCon elements for compliant tunnel lining in tunnel sections with difficult geology.
April 2022, Solexperts IoT, first projects are on the new platform
With the rapid development of digitalisation, many new possibilities are opening up, so today we are taking a very comprehensive approach based on the latest IOT technology. Data acquisition, data transmission (with and without cables), database, automated processes such as analysis and visualisation of data, alarms, controls, documentation or interfaces to advanced analysis tools (e.g. digital twin) are components of this integral monitoring system. Here is a link to a demo page.
March 2022, interesting reverse head application,
Project: Unico Terzo Valico dei Giovi - Nodi di Genova, Genoa-Milan, the high-speed line connecting Italy with the centre of Europe.
October 2021, patent submission: fibre optic flowmeter
Measurement method for measuring flow velocities using systems of distributed temperature sensors.
November 2021, patent submission baLCon®.
The highly deformable concrete for the hiDCon elements used in tunnel construction is also suitable as a ballistic protection material. The suitability was recently proven in a ballistic test according VPAM. Solexperts has filed a patent application for the use of this highly deformable concrete as an interceptor and tactical barrier at the end of 2021.
