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

Precious Metal Products

Fine Chemicals and Catalysts

Hydrogen and Fuel Cells

Process Technologies

Low CarbonTechnologies

Johnson MattheyFuel Cells

Fuel Cellcatalysts

MembraneElectrodeAssemblies

Syngas(hydrogen) catalysts

DavyProcessTechnology

ResearchMaterials

FuelProcessingComponents

Hydrogengeneration, storage &separation

Hydrocarbon

H

H

COH

H

CO

Chemicals Fuels Power

JM - World Leading Expertise in Syngas Catalysts, Purification, Process Technology

• JM Supplies 40% of world’s hydrogen production catalysts

Hydrogen Generation Pathways

Hydrogen Production Technology

Conventional SMROn site H2

Generators

DistributedFuel Processors

Electrolysis

PhotochemistryPhotobiology

Gasification

Biofuels

Waste

Nuclear

Solar thermal

Reforming

Coal

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

Fuel Processing Catalyst Requirements

Ind

ust

rial

p

lan

t

Sm

all

scal

eD

istr

ibu

ted

Portable/military

Auxiliary/back-up power

Residential stationary

Industrial stationary

Forecourt reforming

On-site hydrogen

Stranded gas GTL

Conventional syngas

Large scale GTL

Litres H2/day

Tonnes H2/day

8

Syngas Clean-Up Requirements

PEMFC

PAFC

SOFC + MCFC

Combustion and

Reforming Water Gas Shift

Selective Oxidation

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

10

Syngas from Biomass

• 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

• Gasification of a variety of feedstocks• Waste plastics, urban waste, lignocellulosics, oils/fats, starch/sugar

Solar Hydrogen

CH4

CO / H2

Heliostat

Solar furnace + reformer

CH4

CO / H2

Heliostat

Solar furnace + reformer

CH4

CO / H2

Heliostat

Solar furnace + reformer

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 ?

14

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