Swiss firm marries batteries, hydrogen to power Europe's energy grids

Swiss startup Plan-B Net Zero, founded in 2023, is promoting an integrated energy solution that combines battery energy storage systems (BESS) with green hydrogen technologies to stabilize and enhance the resilience of European power grids, particularly in the interconnected Germany-Austria-Switzerland (DACH) region. The approach leverages batteries for rapid, millisecond-level response to short-term grid fluctuations, while hydrogen—produced from renewable sources—serves as a long-duration, seasonal energy storage medium. Hydrogen is stored for months and later converted back to electricity via fuel cells or turbines, providing sustained backup power. This dual system is supported by artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms that optimize energy generation, storage, and demand in real time, improving operational efficiency and economic viability. Plan-B is developing regional energy hubs that integrate photovoltaic generation, battery storage, and electrolyzers to convert surplus renewable electricity into hydrogen for local storage and use. The company currently has a project pipeline of approximately 1.3 GWh