Developing Biomass Gasification for Hydrogen Production

A major player in the UK energy sector commissioned Black & Veatch’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) team to investigate biomass gasification, coupled with carbon capture, as a source of hydrogen.

Hydrogen complements, and even accelerates, the integration of renewables and the electrification of transport and difficult to decarbonize industries. As a result, the most abundant element in the universe has a leading role in the drive to net zero.

Biomass gasification offers the possibility of generating hydrogen using renewable energy. Adopting carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology will kerb the processes’ carbon emissions.

Various gasification and carbon capture technologies are available, so identifying the best combination to meet the client’s sustainability and commercial goals was key to the project. By applying a unique combination of technology expertise in gasification of biomass, carbon capture, and hydrogen, Black & Veatch EMEA’s technology-agnostic approach was able to provide an unbiased evaluation.

After assessing the applicability of various gasification and CCS technology configurations, the team established the process train best suited to the client’s needs. The next phase of the project was to provide an in-depth feasibility study and front-end engineering design on a pilot-plant for vacuum gasification technology, establishing an integrated process for biomass gasification producing commercial grade hydrogen. The pilot plant has capacity of 0.5 megawatts of hydrogen.

The project plays directly to Black & Veatch EMEA’s strengths. In the UK Black & Veatch has successfully delivered numerous waste-to-energy gasification projects; while the region’s broader design portfolio encompasses very many complex process configurations with multiple products and multiple technologies.