DENS sells power to building sites that would otherwise run diesel generators or wait for a grid connection. DENS, a company in Helmond founded in 2018 by Max Aerts and Tijn Swinkels from the Eindhoven University of Technology student team Team FAST, built generators that run on Hydrozine, its name for formic acid used as a hydrogen carrier, to produce electricity without emissions on site.
The European Innovation Council granted €2,081,625 towards a €2.97 million project, DENS X4, to scale its generator from 25 kW to 100 kW. By the project's end in August 2025, according to CORDIS, all subsystems had been integrated and the system was "being prepared for integrated testing". DENS's recent news features customers using its PowerHub batteries, including the marine contractor Van Oord, rather than the Hydrozine generator.
Company file
- Legal entity
- DENS Power BV, Helmond, Netherlands
- Founded
- 2018, by Max Aerts (CEO) and Tijn Swinkels (CTO)
- Products
- Hydrozine generator; PowerHub battery systems
- Customers named
- Van Oord, FPH Ploegmakers, Sterk BV (PowerHub); F&L Powerrental (Hydrozine pilot)
- Investors
- Koolen Industries, Rabobank (2020)
- EIC project
- DENS X4, 1 Mar 2022 to 31 Aug 2025
- EIC funding
- Blended finance
Where DENS Stands Today
DENS's news page in 2025 and 2026 is dominated by PowerHub batteries: Van Oord using them for emission-free dike reinforcement, FPH Ploegmakers for inner-city construction in Den Bosch, and Sterk BV for sheet piling on the Maas. Its articles in 2025 and 2026 discuss grid congestion and battery management systems. The Hydrozine generator is still listed as a product, but its last dedicated news dates from 2025. DENS does not publish sales figures.
The Technology: Hydrogen From a Liquid
DENS describes Hydrozine as a liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC): the generator releases hydrogen from the liquid to produce electricity on site. In 2019 it started a rental pilot with F&L Powerrental, noting that Hydrozine can be stored in standard steel or plastic containers.
"All subsystems have now been integrated together, and the complete system is being prepared for integrated testing."
DENS X4 report, CORDISWhat the EIC Project Promised, and What CORDIS Shows
DENS X4 promised a "Hydrozine generator for zero-emission power on demand" at 100 kW. The CORDIS report, covering March 2023 to August 2025, says the subsystems were integrated and that after integrated testing "the system will be deployed in the field for pilot demonstrations". It reports no units built for customers, operating hours or performance data.
- A 100 kW generatorPartialIntegrated; not yet tested.
- Field pilotsMissedNot started by project end.
- Commercial Hydrozine salesNot shownNo figures.
- A growing businessPartialBattery hubs with named users.
What Has Happened Since the Award
The Money
In May 2020 DENS raised several million euros from Koolen Industries and Rabobank to commercialise Hydrozine. The EIC award was blended finance; we found no EIC Fund investment. Its revenue is not public, and Dutch company records were not accessible for this article.
What cannot be checked
Whether the 100 kW generator has since been tested or piloted, how many Hydrozine and PowerHub units DENS has sold, and whether the EIC took equity are not public.
Why Europe Should Care
DENS has found customers for emission-free site power among Dutch contractors. But the EU funded a hydrogen generator, and the product DENS's customers are shown using is a battery.
What the project promised
A 100 kW Hydrozine generator for zero-emission power on demand.
What the record shows
An integrated but untested 100 kW unit, and a business now visible mainly through battery hubs.
The Verdict
The generator lagged; the batteries sold
DENS X4 ended with its generator assembled but not tested, and the company's visible commercial activity has moved to batteries. The EIC money advanced a technology the company no longer puts at the front of its business.
DENS has not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on company statements and EU project data, linked throughout.
