A new program has been launched to develop new technologies to generate clean, sustainable hydrogen from biomass and waste.
The Hydrogen BECCS Innovation Programme has been created to support blue and green energy generation. BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage) has been backed with £5m in UK government funding to create this sustainable energy source, as well as capture and store the carbon released during the process.
This BECCS technology has the ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, absorb CO2 found in waste, then permanently remove using carbon capture technologies. It will play a crucial role in helping businesses on the road to net-zero emissions.
How Is Hydrogen Made From Biomass?
For sectors that are hard to decarbonise, hydrogen can be used as a clean fuel source. This can include heavy industry and transport sectors. To generate hydrogen from biomass, it begins using high temperatures to process organic materials.
Then, once combined with oxygen and steam, a gasification process occurs providing a clean energy source that can be used for energy storage or directly in fuel cells.
As hydrogen only emits water vapour when combusted, it is a clean energy source. It will be an important part of the future plans to reduce emissions from hard to decarbonise areas of the economy.
What Is The Hydrogen Strategy?
Applicants for the scheme can bid for a share of £5m new government funding as of Wednesday 12 January. Up to £250,000 can be awarded to help develop projects that demonstrate the feasibility of their proposed innovation.
Further funding will then be issued to the most promising projects from the first round of bidding. The UK government’s plan is aimed to enhance the low-carbon hydrogen sector, all part of the UK’s Green Industrial Revolution.
By 2050, there are estimates that up to 35% of the UK’s energy consumption could be from hydrogen. The project could create more than 9,000 jobs in the green energy industry.
How Can The Hydrogen Strategy Help The UK’s Net-Zero Targets?
There is a huge potential for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through hydrogen production, all leading towards net-zero goals. This new technology can enhance green jobs and investments, meanwhile slashing carbon emissions.
| Partner Up With Offshore Wind | The UK has been one of the global leaders in wind energy generation for a long time. Between 2016 and 2021, almost £19bn was invested in offshore wind, the highest cumulative capacity in the world. By pairing these investments and statistics with hydrogen generation, the UK could be a pioneer in the industry. However, to do this, there would need to be early policy action with strong private sector backing. |
| Support The Transport Sector | In 2016, the transport industry became the UK’s highest-emitting sector. In more recent times, carbon emissions from transport were 97.2 megatonnes in 2020. This accounts for 29.8% of the UK’s carbon emissions. Hydrogen technology will be used to support the delivery of 4,000 new zero-emission buses, as well as battery and hydrogen trains making diesel trains cleaner. By the end of 2021, the Zero-Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme, which will receive up to £120m. |
| Various Types Of Hydrogen Technologies | The UK have released the Ten Point Plan, a target-based strategy aimed at generating 5GW of low-carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030. With a massive £500m investment made, technologies such as a Hydrogen Neighbourhood and Hydrogen Village by 2025, we may see the very first town running entirely on hydrogen. Both green hydrogen and blue hydrogen will see investments, however, there is a cost disparity between different sources of hydrogen. In order to reach the net-zero targets, a flexible approach to the technology will be needed. |
| Benefits For Energy-intensive Industries | By the end of 2040, the UK is aiming to deliver the world’s first net-zero emissions industrial zone. Huge companies, such as Shell and Total have signed up to develop the Net-Zero Teesside project, focusing their efforts on carbon capture, utilisation and storage technology. By 2025, there are also proposals to build a demonstration hydrogen production facility in the UK. |
Key takeaways:
There will be £5 million government funding up for grabs to support innovative new technologies that will generate hydrogen from biomass and waste.
These new technologies will help to carbon capture, as well as remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere all with a focus on becoming net-zero.
Green jobs and private investments will support local areas in the UK and add to the UK’s net-zero plans.