NOVELTY - Virtual hydrogen storage process comprises electrocatalytically reducing liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) in direct organic fuel cell/flow battery by contacting LOHC with homogeneous redox catalyst under aqueous or non-aqueous acidic conditions, at 100-300 degrees C, where catalyst comprises: either tridentate, redox-active pincer ligand complex (A1); or tridentate, redox-active pincer ligand complex (II); or tridentate, redox-active pincer ligand complex (IV); or tridentate, redox-active pincer ligand complex (V).    USE - The process is useful for virtual hydrogen storage.    ADVANTAGE - The process provides improved aqueous proton reduction and is readily adaptable to proton exchange membrane fuel cells.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Virtual hydrogen storage process comprises electrocatalytically reducing a liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) in a direct organic fuel cell/flow battery by contacting the LOHC with a homogeneous redox catalyst under aqueous or non-aqueous acidic conditions, at 100-300 degrees C, where the catalyst comprises: either a tridentate, redox-active pincer ligand complex (A1) containing a group 10 transition metal and one or two coordinating groups bound to the transition metal; or a tridentate, redox-active pincer ligand complex of formula (II); or a tridentate, redox-active pincer ligand complex of formula (IV); or a tridentate, redox-active pincer ligand complex of formula (V).    M1 = group 10 transition metal which is Ni, Pd, Pt or Ds;    X1, X2 = halo, where either (but not both) of X1 or X2 may be absent; either    R1, R2 = 5-14C aryl or 5-14C heteroaryl (both optionally substituted with 1-6C alkyl, 1-6C alkenyl or 1-6C alkynyl; and    R3, R4 = 1-6C alkyl, 1-6C alkenyl or 1-6C alkynyl; or    NR1R3, NR2R4 = optionally substituted single or fused (2 or 3 rings) 5-14C heteroaryl, where the single ring heteroaryl optionally contains one or two additional ring heteroatoms comprising N or O, and the fused ring heteroaryl optionally contains 1-3 additional ring heteroatoms comprising N or O; either    R5, R6 = 1-6C alkyl (optionally substituted), 1-6C alkenyl or 1-6C alkynyl; or    CR5R6 = 5-10C aryl or 5-10C heteroaryl;    n = 0 or 1;    R10, R11 = mono- or di-(1-6C alkyl), mono- or di-(1-6C alkenyl) or mono- or di-(1-6C alkynyl), preferably (tert-butyl)2;    R12 = mono- or di-(1-6C alkyl), mono- or di-(1-6C alkenyl) or mono- or di-(1-6C alkynyl), preferably methyl; and    Y1 = Lewis acid, complex Lewis acid or the ligand of a coordination compound with the metal acting as the Lewis acid.    INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for:    (1) a direct organic fuel cell/flow battery fuel cell system in which LOHC is electrocatalytically reduced by contacting the LOHC with the homogeneous redox catalyst under aqueous or non-aqueous acidic conditions and at 100-300 degrees C, where the catalyst comprises (A1);    (2) a supported homogeneous redox catalyst comprising the tridentate, redox-active pincer ligand complex (A1);    (3) a supported homogeneous redox catalyst comprising a tridentate, redox-active pincer ligand complex (II);    (4) a supported homogeneous redox catalyst comprising a tridentate, redox-active pincer ligand complex (V); and    (5) a composition comprising a partially or fully hydrogenated, nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocycle as a liquid organic hydrogen carrier in combination with the catalyst comprising (A1), (II), (IV) or (V).