British clean energy company Compact Syngas Solutions (CSS) has secured nearly £4m in government funding to enhance the sustainability of its biomass and waste-to-hydrogen plants through the implementation of carbon capture technology.
The funding was awarded as part of the Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (H2BECCS) Innovation Programme, administered by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).
CSS has developed an advanced gasification process that converts waste materials, including biomass such as waste wood and selected non-recyclable materials, into hydrogen gas. This technology enables the transformation of waste into valuable syngas, which can be used as a cleaner fuel source.
Based in Deeside, Wales, CSS previously received £246,568 in initial funding. The additional funding will support the construction of a full-scale rig to demonstrate the feasibility of using water for separating and storing carbon dioxide (CO2) during the gasification process. Previously, this separation was achieved using amines, a potentially harmful compound derived from ammonia.
By removing CO2 from the process, the carbon footprint of the hydrogen production is reduced, enhancing overall efficiency. The separated syngas is utilized in a gas engine to generate energy for powering the process and exporting surplus energy to the grid, maximizing system outputs.
During the project, the rig will operate continuously for 1,000 hours, testing the reliability of the technology and preparing it for commercialization.
Paul Willacy, Managing Director of Compact Syngas Solutions, expressed his excitement about winning the second round of funding and highlighted the importance of scaling up the technology for commercial demonstration. The company is actively seeking further investment to support its rollout within the next few years. Willacy emphasized that capturing and storing carbon from the gasification process and hydrogen production aligns with the drive towards achieving Net Zero emissions and reduces the environmental impact of large-scale green fuel production.
The Hydrogen BECCS Innovation Programme funding is part of the government’s £1bn Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, which aims to support the development of low-carbon technologies and systems and decrease decarbonization costs. CSS believes its technology will play a vital role in the UK’s decarbonization efforts and its goal of achieving Net Zero by 2050. The production of low-carbon hydrogen from waste materials prevents them from ending up in landfills and creates a fuel with no greenhouse gas by-products.
CSS intends to construct more than 50 hydrogen modules across approximately 15 sites, with each site featuring between one and six modules based on local demand. Each module is capable of producing 750kg of hydrogen daily, enough to fuel a fleet of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), and capturing approximately 1,600kg of CO2. The planned 50 modules would produce around 11,000 tonnes of hydrogen annually while capturing 29,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
