Today the government has launched a new programme to help develop innovative technologies to produce hydrogen from sustainable biomass and waste.
Backed with £5 million in government funding, the new Hydrogen BECCS Innovation Programme is set to support the development of technologies to produce hydrogen generated via BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage).
The BECCS process produces hydrogen from biomass and waste, with the ability to capture and store the carbon released during the process.
Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Hands commented: “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.”
According to the government, BECCS technology can uniquely offer the ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, as the CO2 absorbed during the growth of the sustainable biomass and the organic content found in waste can then be permanently removed from the atmosphere using carbon capture technologies.
From today, applicants from small businesses and large companies to research institutions and universities will be able to bid for a share of the £5m funding under Phase 1 of the programme.
Each project will be able to bid for up to £250,000 to help develop their project plans and demonstrate the feasibility of their proposed innovation.
Phase 1 will then be followed by a second Phase, that will provide further funding to support the most promising Phase 1 projects to demonstrate their projects.
The programme seeks to support development of innovative hydrogen BECCS technology solutions across three categories:
- feedstock pre-processing: the development of low cost, energy and material efficient technologies which will optimise biomass and waste feedstocks for use in advanced gasification technologies
- gasification components: the development of advanced gasification technology components. Advanced gasification technologies are thermal conversion technologies which can be used to convert biomass or waste into aviation fuel, diesel, hydrogen, methane and other hydrocarbons
- novel biohydrogen technologies: the development of new biohydrogen technologies which can be combined with carbon capture, for example dark fermentation, anaerobic digestion, waste water treatment
More information about the Hydrogen BECCS Innovation Programme and how to apply is available on the UK Government website.
