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 ?
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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