Minnova Renewable Energy and Minnova Corp. announced a reorganization plan and the location of future green hydrogen production.
Swan River, Manitoba, Canada is Minnova’s first location for a biomass gasification demonstration plant. Following extensive research and talks, the business has secured an initial feedstock source as well as a suitable location for the development of a demonstration unit.
A plentiful source of sustainable forest and agricultural biomass leftovers, existing infrastructure that would permit quick construction and potential extension, an existing natural gas pipeline for prospective injection, and a supportive local community were all important selection factors.
The demonstration unit will be built on a transportable platform enabling future technology marketing and small-scale production on-site. The demonstration unit will run for up to 6 months, producing marketable syngas with a high hydrogen content (>50%).
The syngas will be sold and refined in order to produce pure hydrogen. Multiple feedstocks are expected to be tested in order to refine and validate syngas quality and yield, as well as improve the gasification unit design, in preparation for a Phase 1 commercial-scale operation that aims to produce up to 1.4 million kg of pure hydrogen per year.
After the demonstration unit is completed, it may be moved to other locations in Canada and the United States with sufficient, sustainable biomass supplies to show the technology’s capacity to replace or reduce existing fossil fuel consumption with green hydrogen.
Engagement with possible feedstock sources in Costa Rica and Romania has gone well, and biomass gasification test work is ongoing to gather the data needed to construct future commercial plants. With strong local industrial demand and access to North American and European markets, both regions are attractive prospects for large-scale, sustainable green hydrogen and/or green ammonia production.
