HyPER is leading the development of a new clean hydrogen production process in the UK

HyPER – Bulk Hydrogen Production by Sorbent Enhanced Steam Reforming

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The HyPER project is a collaboration between Cranfield University, GTI, and Doosan Babcock and is funded through the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s Energy Innovation Programme. During this project, we will design, construct and operate a state-of-the-art 1 MWth hydrogen production pilot plant at Cranfield University to test an innovative hydrogen production technology that substantially reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

The pilot plant will be based on the Gas Technology Institute’s sorption enhanced steam reforming process, a compact hydrogen production technology that captures the carbon dioxide during the hydrogen production process and shifts the chemical reactions to favour the production of more hydrogen. The outputs are high purity streams of hydrogen and carbon dioxide which can be then stored, sold or transported to where it is needed. A key benefit of the new process is that it could be more economical and efficient than other technologies as the product streams are pressurised.

Hydrogen is a vital compound that goes into the production of fertilisers and chemicals, as well as, being an essential reactant for many processes. The demand for low-carbon hydrogen is expected to increase significantly in the future, with its use to decarbonise the natural gas grid, industry, power generation, and transportation.