Waste-to-hydrogen to play ‘major role’ in circular economy of the future

With the adoption of decarbonisation, decentralisation, and digitisation – also known as the three D’s – global industry is entering a period of energy transition, where conventional fossil-fuel-based sources are gradually being replaced by sustainable, renewable alternatives, driving forward, and reshaping the way global energy systems work.

Led by innovations in lower-carbon energy sources such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), hydrogen, and biomethane, decarbonisation is one of the main drivers of the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution.

A key aspect of decarbonisation is reducing emissions in sectors of industry that are notoriously hard-to-abate, such as cement manufacture, the steel industry, and waste – the fourth largest source sector of emissions.

A form of sustainable waste management using thermochemical processes such as gasification, reforming, and pyrolysis can be used to convert hydrocarbon-rich solid wastes to useful hydrogen.

One such process, known as chemical recycling, or chemcycling, also yield pyrolysis oil (pyoil) – a liquid fuel similar to diesel, and syngas which can be further processed to hydrogen or greenhouse gas (GHG)-free ammonia.

Industrial gas and clean energy expert Stephen B. Harrison of sbh4 Consulting explained the role waste-to-hydrogen could play in the circular economy of the future.

According to Harrison, chemcycling can be used as an alternative to incineration, in which waste is combusted to yield steam, CO2 and ash.

“Integrated pyrolysis, reforming and gasification have a significant environmental advantage over incineration: the oxygen-deficient atmosphere prevents the formation of dioxins and furans which are highly toxic pollutants,” he explained.

Although some CO2 is produced by thermochemical processing, the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) regards incineration of the biogenic fraction of waste as CO2-neutral, a definition that encompasses waste such as animal carcasses, scrap wood, waste vegetable oils and post-consumer wastepaper.

from: gasworld