Challenges in Sustainable Hydrogen Production
David Wails
Low Carbon Research Group
Johnson Matthey Technology Centre
Johnson Matthey
Speciality chemicals company focused on its core skills in
catalysis, precious metals, fine chemicals and process
technology
Environmental
Technologies
Fine Chemicals
and Catalysts
Precious Metal
Products
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells
Johnson Matthey
Fuel Cells
Fuel Cell
catalysts
Membrane
Electrode
Assemblies
Process
Technologies
Low Carbon
Technologies
Fuel
Processing
Components
Syngas
(hydrogen)
catalysts
Davy
Process
Technology
Research
Materials
Hydrogen
generation,
storage &
separation
JM - World Leading Expertise in Syngas
Catalysts, Purification, Process Technology
Hydrocarbon
H
H
Chemicals
CO
Fuels
Power
• JM Supplies 40% of world’s hydrogen production catalysts
Hydrogen Generation Pathways
Waste
Biofuels
Coal
Gasification
Solar thermal
Hydrogen Production
Technology
Nuclear
Photochemistry
Photobiology
Electrolysis
Reforming
Conventional SMR
On site H2
Generators
Distributed
Fuel Processors
Hydrogen – Here and Now
A catalyst supplier’s perspective
• Current hydrogen generation route (SMR) is on a large scale
• Most hydrogen utilised on site (ammonia,methanol production, HDS, GTL)
• Hydrocarbon sources are well understood
• A multitude of novel, compact fuel processors are being
developed for fuel cell applications
• Advanced engineering and system designs require suitable catalysts to
demonstrate the concepts
• Suitable catalysts are often not scaleable or commercially available
• Renewable hydrocarbon sources present additional challenges
• There is no ‘one-size fits all’ catalyst solution
Tonnes
H2/day
Industrial
plant
Small scale
Litres
H2/day
Distributed
Fuel Processing Catalyst Requirements
Portable/military
Auxiliary/back-up power
Residential stationary
Industrial stationary
Forecourt reforming
On-site hydrogen
Stranded gas GTL
Conventional syngas
Large scale GTL
Syngas Clean-Up Requirements
PEMFC
SOFC + MCFC
Selective
Oxidation
Combustion
and
Reforming
Water
Gas Shift
PAFC
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Routes to Low Carbon H2
• Efficient hydrocarbon processing
• including biofuels, waste, biomass, biogas, emerging hydrocarbon
sources (e.g. glycerol)
• integration with carbon capture and storage
• Indirect renewables
• storage of renewable electricity through electrolysis
• Direct renewables
• photocatalysis, biogenicH2, high temp solar
Syngas from Biomass
•
Gasification of a variety of feedstocks
•
Waste plastics, urban waste, lignocellulosics, oils/fats, starch/sugar
• Existing catalysts and
adsorbents
• Acid gas “polishing” with sulphur
and chloride guards
• Sweet and sour shift catalysts
• Additional syngas
conditioning requirements
• Tar removal
• Dependent on gasifier
design and operation
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Solar Hydrogen
Coated ZnFerrite
materials for
water-splitting
redox cycle
Coated PGM catalysts
for solar enhanced
steam reforming
Hydrogen Research Needs
• Step-change production processes
• New processes >> new catalysts for current processes
• Low Carbon H2
• Efficient hydrocarbon processing (including biogas sources, integration
with CCS)
• Indirect renewables (eg – storage of renewable electricity)
• Direct renewables (eg – photocatalysis, biohydrogen, high temp solar)
• Distributed reforming: efficient, compact, robust, ‘waste’ feedstocks
• Integration of biochemical and thermochemical processes
Hydrogen Research Needs
• Purification
• Reformate: effective desulphurisation, non-pyrophoric CO-removal,
hydrocarbon clean-up
• H2: distributed separation and compression
• Storage
• Where is the next big idea in solid state H2 storage ?
• Optimising for the end application: packaging, heat integration
• Large scale storage options: organic carriers, hydrocarbons, slurries ?
Conclusions
• Hydrogen generation via traditional routes is well established
technology
• Syngas usually produced and used on site
• Use of sustainable feedstocks with current plant flowsheets will have additional
processing and purification requirements
• Emerging hydrogen opportunities/markets have different
requirements
• Pure hydrogen rather than syngas
• Requires additional purification
• Centralised / distributed reforming
• Storage and transportation issues
• Sustainable / low carbon opportunities
• CCS
• Renewable feedstocks
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