The future of hydrogen: can we make it COx-free and affordable?
Summary
The 112CO2EuropeanProject proposes a socially-acceptable, sustainable, cost-effective and easy-to-implement technology for the production of clean hydrogen: low-temperature methane decomposition. The aim is to develop a disruptive catalytic reactor that converts methane into hydrogen and solid carbon in a cost-effective way. This technology can enable a soft but swift energy transition by taking advantage of the existing infrastructure for storage and distribution of natural gas.
Researcher Profile
The project, which has started in September 2020, gathers some of the finest EU research laboratories and companies, including University of Porto, author of this new MD concept; Pixel Voltaic Lda., which is a spin-off company from UPorto, responsible for designing the process lab prototype; CSIC to synthetize the catalysts; DLR to develop proton conducting ceramics for efficient and cost-effective H2 purification; EPFL responsible for the dissemination activities; Paul Wurth S.A. and Quantis for performing life cycle assessment and economic analysis. The project coordinator is Adélio Mendes, Full Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto and Senior Researcher at the Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy (LEPABE), coordinating the Research group for Processes, Products and Energy.