Wales & West Utilities (WWU) has announced it will lead a project to further develop an electrolyser, which can produce green hydrogen from highly contaminated industrial wastewater sources.
Working with HydroStar and Cardiff University, the new technology will be used for water high in micro plastic and heavy metal pollution, which would normally be unsuitable for the process.
Green hydrogen production typically requires highly purified water, which is expensive and puts high demands on the energy and water system, as well as needing energy intensive water purification plants. The pollutant removal process also produces hydrogen and oxygen as byproducts, which can be captured as high value goods to recover the energy costs of pollutant removal from the water.
By combining pollutant removal with the low-carbon hydrogen production process, the device is expected to reduce operational barriers, enabling the delivery of lower-cost green hydrogen to customers.
The pollutant removal process also produces hydrogen and oxygen as byproducts, which can be captured as high value goods to recover the energy costs of pollutant removal from the water.
The project builds on, and complements, planned future phases of the NextGen electrolyser project, which is supported by Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund. The NextGen prototype uses wastewater, like rainwater, to produce green hydrogen. This phase will also drive research and development into new electrode designs to optimise the existing NextGen unit.
The project will kick off this summer, with the prototype ready by March 2025. The project secured Innovate UK Launchpad: NetZero Industry, South West Wales funding. Located in south-west Wales and developed in collaboration with local leadership to strengthen innovation in targeted clusters across the UK, this Launchpad is dedicated to the pursuit of sustainable solutions in net zero industrial emissions.
Wales & West Utilities, the gas emergency and pipeline service, brings energy to 7.5m people across the south west of England and Wales.
Press release https://shorturl.at/7fVHd
