With the help of a new program launched by the UK government, clean energy source hydrogen can now be produced from renewable biomass and waste.
The new Hydrogen BECCS Innovation Program, supported by £5 million in government funding, will support the development of technologies for the production of hydrogen generated via BECCS” (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage). Biomass and waste are used in the BECCS process to generate hydrogen, which is then used to capture and store the carbon dioxide that is released during the process.
By using carbon capture technologies to permanently remove the CO2 absorbed during the growth of sustainable biomass and organic content in waste, BECCS technology has the potential to offer a new way to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. To help the UK achieve net zero emissions by the year 2050, hydrogen BECCS technologies will play an important role. They will provide a clean fuel for hard to decarbonize sectors like transportation and heavy industry while also removing greenhouse gases from the air.
Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Hands said: This innovative technology offers incredible potential for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, crucial to reaching our net zero goals. This government funding will help support the development of this new technology in the UK, boosting green jobs and investment while slashing carbon emissions.
Applications for a share of a new £5 million government fund under Phase 1 of the Hydrogen BECCS Innovation Program can be submitted as of right now by small businesses, large corporations, research institutes, and universities. Up to £250,000 will be available to each project in order to develop their project plans and demonstrate the viability of their proposed innovation. In the second phase, the most promising Phase 1 projects will receive additional funding to help them demonstrate their ideas.
As part of the UK’s green industrial revolution, this new program will aid the government’s goal of creating a thriving low-carbon hydrogen sector. Our transition to net zero requires a clean fuel that emits only water vapour when burned. Hydrogen can help reduce emissions from hard-to-decarbonise sectors of the economy, such as transportation and heavy industry.
As a result, hydrogen BECCS technologies represent a significant opportunity for the United Kingdom. Developing and scaling up this new type of technology for commercialization in the UK will be critical to this new program’s success in assisting the country to reach net zero while also creating new green jobs and spurring private investment.
