Thursday 15 April 2021

Cranfield University builds hydrogen plant to test carbon capture technology

Cranfield University has started working on building a new pilot hydrogen plant in a bid to test a new hydrogen production technology that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The so-called HyPER project, a 1.5MW pilot plant, uses a novel hydrogen production technology invented by the development organisation GTI.

The technology captures the carbon dioxide emitted during the hydrogen production process before it is stored, sold or transported.

It also shifts the chemical reaction to support larger-scale hydrogen production.

Scientists suggest the process has the potential to produce 'high purity' hydrogen at a cost 25% lower than conventional steam methane reforming methods that need carbon capture as an additional expensive process step.

The project is backed with £7.4 million of funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) Energy Innovation Programme.

Dr Peter Clough, Lecturer in Energy Engineering at Cranfield University, said: “In the year of the COP26 Climate Conference it’s significant that the kind of technology we are exploring could have an important impact globally.

"It will minimise greenhouse gas emissions and make the production, storage and transportation of low carbon hydrogen a reality. We anticipate great benefits for consumers, industry and the hydrogen sector.”