Hydrogen and Wales

Wastewater Treatment Research Unit

Hydrogen Research Unit

Staff

Publications

Research Projects

Links

Hydrogen can be thought of as an energy carrier, like electricity. It can be produced from a variety of primary energy sources including renewables in any part of the world. When used in either internal combustion engines, or better still in fuel cells, it produces little or no greenhouse gases and no carbon dioxide. This could have a potentially large effect on reducing global warming. Hydrogen will not be the only source of energy in the future - we are used to an energy mix, petrol as a fuel for vehicles, natural gas for our central heating boilers. However, hydrogen will play an important part in our future energy mix, together with electricity produced from renewables and nuclear energy, biofuels and, for the time being at least, fossil fuels. 

How is hydrogen produced? It is currently made in large quantities by reforming natural gas, the cheapest way at present to produce it. This method of production does not help us with carbon emissions, since the natural gas contains carbon, but it does give us a route into an infrastructure. South Wales is particularly fortunate since all along the M4 corridor there are industries safely producing and using hydrogen already. We have a large body of experience and hydrogen available for demonstration projects. In low-carbon terms, the big advantage comes as we start to produce hydrogen by splitting water, using electricity from renewable sources such as photovoltaics, wind or marine energy systems. Hydrogen production and storage can be especially useful for smoothing out the fluctuating supplies typical in many renewable systems, making them more effective.

Another production method with exciting possibilities is hydrogen from biomass. Dry biomass such as wood or dry waste can be converted using thermal processes known as pyrolysis and gasification. Wet biomass, on the other hand, is the feedstock for naturally occurring bacteria that can break down the complex carbohydrates and produce hydrogen directly. The carbon dioxide that is also produced helps create more biomass in nature’s growth cycle and has no net effect as a greenhouse gas. In Wales we have particular expertise in this area. A recent Carbon Trust project in the University of Glamorgan “Feasibility of sustainable hydrogen production from starch industry co-products” demonstrated in the laboratory that the process works well. Initial results indicate that large savings in diesel fuel can be made. The next stage, also part-funded by Carbon Trust, is a larger scale project at a Welsh flour mill “Hydrogen production from wheat industry co-product”. This will allow the true commercial potential to be evaluated. Other carbohydrate sources can be turned into hydrogen in this way - co-products from the food industry, kitchen waste or specifically grown energy crops. Farm-scale conversion of crops to hydrogen has positive implications for Wales where rural areas need employment opportunities.