Sustainable hydrogen production from renewable gases and biogenic waste sources through innovative modular reactor design, process intensification and integration

Expected Outcome

Methods to transform renewable gases and biogenic waste sources into renewable hydrogen are diverse, but those such as pyrolysis/gasification of biogenic waste, renewable gas steam reforming and dark fermentation present a promising alternative. However, efficiency and scalability remain key challenges. While previous projects (e.g. BIONICO[1], HYIELD[2], SYMSITES[3], Waste4Bio[4]) have demonstrated technical feasibility, efficiencies remain limited (around 40%) and further improvement is needed to enhance economic viability and life-cycle performance in an industrial environment. Carbon-based products generated during these hydrogen routes may also be characterised to evaluate valuable applications and boost process economics. Thus, a complete and reliable carbon-utilisation-ready solution can be a step forward within the state of the art of the proposed scope.

Project results are expected to contribute to the following expected outcomes:

• Improved hydrogen yield and energy efficiency, optimising the ratio of hydrogen output to energy input in the production of hydrogen from renewable gases and biogenic waste sources through thermochemical and/or biological pathways;
• Innovative and breakthrough technologies such as reactor designs, fermentation routes and process configurations, including process intensification schemes, catalyst development, biocatalysis routes and relevant Balance of Plant for the low-emission transformation of renewable sources;
• Growing use of renewable gases and biogenic waste sources (wastewater, sewage, agrifood waste and other industrial wastes) promoting a circular approach, and enabling sector coupling with industries such as chemicals, steel, fertilisers, and materials, among others;
• Reduction of CAPEX and OPEX through process simplification, reactor design, system integration, improved reaction kinetics, and better system integration. Overall processes should be optimised for hydrogen production, but also for use of the by-products (e.g., extracted carbon);
• Advanced source-impurity management to increase feedstock flexibility and hydrogen and co-product purity (e.g. biomolecules or captured CO2), while minimising pretreatment cleaning costs;
• Maximised process electrification;
• Enhancing energy security by promoting European clean hydrogen production and reducing the dependency on foreign energy and raw material imports.

Project results are expected to contribute to the objectives and KPIs of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, depending on the technology/pathway followed:

• Reduction in CAPEX and OPEX of the considered technologies, with respect to current state of the art;
• CAPEX:
• Hydrogen production from raw biogas: 1,150 €/(kg/d)
• Hydrogen production from biomass (bioreactors, dark fermentation): 400 €/(kg/d)
• Biomass/biowaste gasification: 1,514 €/(kg/d)
• OPEX
• Hydrogen production from raw biogas: 1.32 €/(kg/d)
• Hydrogen production from biomass (bioreactors, dark fermentation): 3 €/(kg/d)
• Biomass/biowaste gasification: 0.011 €/(kg/d)
• Improvement of process energy efficiency:
• Hydrogen production from raw biogas, system energy use: 60 kWh/kg
• Hydrogen production from biomass (bioreactors, dark fermentation), reactor production rate: 15 kgH2/m³/d
• Hydrogen production via thermolysis:
• Electricity consumption @ nominal capacity: 20-25[5] kWh/kgH2
• Head demand @ nominal capacity: 18 kWh/kgH2
• Hydrogen production efficiency: 48%
• Increase in carbon yield:
• Hydrogen production from biomass (bioreactors, dark fermentation): 0.015 kgH2/kgCOD[6]
• Biomass/biowaste gasification: 0.22 kgH2/kgC
• Reduce the land footprint of the hydrogen production plant versus commercial benchmark H2 production processes;
• Maximised hydrogen recovery >95%;
• Reduce direct CO2 emissions from feedstock (at least 80% reduction);
• Biochar quality for use in soil enrichment or electronics but not for energy-production purposes.
• Increase in hydrogen yield by ≥ 0.1 - 0.15 L H₂ / g vs[7] for dark fermentation processes.

Furthermore, proposals should include any additional technological KPIs, that demonstrate the progress beyond current State of the Art. For relevant technologies not listed above but aligned with the JU SRIA priorities (e.g. thermolysis), proposals are expected to include the respective relevant KPIs needed to demonstrate advancement beyond the State of the Art.

Scope

The main objective of this topic is to develop novel technologies for high-efficiency hydrogen production from renewable gases and/or biogenic waste sources, ensuring sustainability, cost reduction and process scalability, including thermochemical or biological pathways, or a combination of both. Thermocatalytic, electrochemical, dark fermentation and membrane technologies can be combined to reduce process steps and increase hydrogen yield and efficiency. A target TRL5 is adequate considering the starting TRL of these technologies but also the required improvements and the high degree of integration among process units needed to reach the specific technology KPIs. Biobased processes, e.g. dark fermentation and anaerobic digestion, should target the direct production of bio-H2 in the bioreactor, while minimising the organic by-product formation and providing a convincing solution to valorise solid co-products such as digestate. In addition, process intensification and reactor technology, hybridising separation, purification and compression technologies, including heat valorisation concepts, can lead to strong enhancement in energy efficiency and downstream processing costs.

Projects should go beyond previous initiatives on waste to H2, such as BIONICO, HYIELD, SYMSITES or Waste4Bio projects, by demonstrating higher efficiency, higher H2 yield, and better process economics and integration with other industries, facilitating the transition to sustainable hydrogen production at scale. Furthermore, proposals should also address sustainability and circularity through a life cycle assessment. The considered renewable gases and biogenic waste sources should only be used for hydrogen production and be fully sustainable (e.g. no negative influence on biodiversity). The project could employ, as reactor feed, model feedstocks mimicking biogenic feedstocks while the experimental use of real waste feedstock coming from upstream processes is encouraged and eligible for funding however, the development costs of these upstream processes will not be funded.

The presence of impurities in the inlet waste stream should play a role and thus is expected to be addressed in the proposal, such as the conversion, adsorption or separation of feedstock from undesirable by-products.

Addressing certain limitations is crucial for practical implementation. These include:

• Reducing costs (both CAPEX and OPEX) to ensure viability for industrial applications;
• Enhancing process energy efficiency and a high degree of electrification to provide process heat and drive hydrogen separation, purification and compression;
• Enhancing scalability through novel, modular reactor designs, process intensification, and integration strategies;
• Managing impurities in process streams to improve system robustness and feedstock flexibility;
• Characterisation of other fermentation biogenic and/or solid carbon by-products to assess potential carbon-negative hydrogen production and economic benefits;
• Demonstration and report of significant testing time for 1000 h to show operational availability and stability for industrial implementation under industrial-relevant conditions;
• Techno-economic analysis leading to a reduction of current LCOH (€/kg H2);
• Sustainability analysis of GHG emissions, pollutants, biodiversity, water consumption, amongst others.

Proposals should:

• Show feasible and significant advances (up to TRL 5) with respect to the mentioned limitations;
• Demonstrate a functional process producing from 1 to 10 kgH2/h (approx. 0,03 - 0,33 MWH2) including relevant Balance of Plant (e.g. innovative purification, separation, and compression, electrical & thermal integration) with a purity acceptable for the proposed direct application;
• Demonstrate a clear pathway for industrial-scale implementation, proving competitive hydrogen production costs and improved climate performance compared to existing technologies, including CCS-based methods;
• Characterise organic molecules or carbon-based by-products generated during this hydrogen route to evaluate valuable applications.

Techno-economic analysis to de developed should consider as relevant complementary integrated actions such as process waste-heat valorisation, carbon capture, and hydrogen production as raw material input for example but not limited to chemical, steel, or other industries would be important for the substitution/reduction of fossil hydrocarbons use in the industrial sector. However, the development costs of these actions will not be funded.

The circular approach should comprise the full process analysis with the evaluation of the impact of the technology into a future carbon market, as key for the viability of the process, as well as multi-product sustainability analysis, minimising critical raw material inputs, wastes and greenhouse gases emissions (even negative) in a variety of scenarios, maximising socio-economic impacts in the European Society.

Natural gas/methane splitting and carbon utilisation activities are not int the scope .

Applicants are encouraged to explore synergies with successful applicants of topic ‘HORIZON-CL5-2025-02-D2-08: Coordinated call with India on waste to renewable’ included in the Horizon Europe Work Programme.

For additional elements applicable to all topics please refer to section 2.2.3.2.

Activities are expected to start at TRL 3 and achieve TRL 5 by the end of the project - see General Annex B.

The JU estimates that an EU contribution of maximum EUR 3.00 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.

Technology Readiness Level - Technology readiness level expected from completed projects

Activities are expected to start at TRL 3 and achieve TRL 5 by the end of the project - see General Annex B.

[1] https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/671459

[2] https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101137792

[3] https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101058426

[4] https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101153928

[5] Depending on whether compression is considered

[6] Chemical Oxygen Demand

[7] Volatile Solids