New hydrogen insights for companies from the FITech Hydrogen project course

FITech Hydrogen project course provides new insights for companies in the hydrogen industry

In the FITech Hydrogen project course, groups combining degree students and adult learners guided by university teachers develop new perspectives and practical solutions to real-world hydrogen economy challenges that companies face.

Kelluu participated in the first FITech Hydrogen project course in the spring of 2024. The company wished to work more with the local university to confirm that their assumed knowledge of the industry state-of-the-art was at the correct level. The company got in touch with Senior Researcher Niko Kinnunen at the University of Eastern Finland, who suggested that Kelluu could propose a topic for students to work on under his supervision.

Mechanical Design Engineer JP Henderson from Kelluu actively guided the group of students, especially putting effort into the initial presentation of the topic, explaining the motivation behind the report question, and keeping the scope focused. As a result of the project course, the company got a report of the state-of-the-art commercially available gas very low-level impurity measurements.

“The final report the two students produced was excellent. A literature review on methods to sample fuel cell impurities in industry soon gets technical, and they balanced providing both an overview of many methods and giving enough detail. There was nothing conclusive, but that is due to the field, no single method or product is providing the entire feature set that is ideally wished for,” JP commented on the outcome.

New course and topics for 2025

eTehdas, Helen, and Kelluu are among the organisations providing topics for students to work on in the 2025 project course. The topics are

• Permitting of power-to-X projects: Focusing on either the environmental impact assessment process, chemical permit requirements, or issues related to building permits.
• Solutions for mobile hydrogen refueling: Developing a concept for mobile refueling of trucks, buses, machinery, and ferries.
• Small-scale mobile hydrogen refilling: Exploring concepts, components, and sourcing for single kg/day hydrogen transfer.

It is still possible to suggest other topics as well.

Gain new perspectives for your company

Companies in the hydrogen economy can gain valuable insights by encouraging their employees to participate in the course and/or by contributing real-world cases for students to tackle. By offering guidance and collaborating on projects, these companies can help shape innovative solutions while benefitting from fresh perspectives. The outcomes that students produce include literature reviews, small-scale studies, feasibility studies, or business plans. Professor Pekka Peljo from the University of Turku encourages companies to suggest ideas with a low threshold.

“The course teachers will help the students to define and narrow down the proposed topics and find the best ways to carry out the project. While the teachers are primarily responsible for guiding the students, companies benefit more from the project if they are involved in the guidance process. Project-based work is one of the most effective learning methods, so I strongly encourage companies to participate.”

The course will be implemented in spring 2025 and the application period starts on 7 January 2025. With the current funding, the course is available free-of-charge for the last time. More information on the course page.

If you have a question, challenge, or information need related to your hydrogen project, please contact either one of the course teachers or FITech:

Pekka Peljo
pekka.peljo(at)utu.fi
+358 50 505 3228

Niko Kinnunen
niko.kinnunen(at)uef.fi
+358 50 342 4084

Sanna Viitanen
sanna.viitanen(at)fitech.io
+358 50 473 9711

Pictures: Kelluu