Hydrogen from glycerine

Conventional catalytic steam-reforming processes are the dominant method used to produce hydrogen from hydrocarbons on an industrial scale.

At high temperatures – usually between 700°C and 1,100°C – and in the presence of a metal-based catalyst such as nickel, steam reacts with the hydrocarbon to yield carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

Using such a catalytic steam-reforming process to produce hydrogen from glycerine is also under investigation around the world as an environmentally friendly way to make use of the glycerine by-product produced from biodiesel plants.

For that reason, Hydromotive, a subsidiary of the Linde Group, has announced that it is to build a plant at its chemical site in Leuna, Germany, to produce hydrogen from glycerine.

The plant, which will reprocess, pyrolyse and reform raw glycerine, will come on-stream in mid-2010. It will produce a hydrogen-rich gas, which will be fed into the company's existing plant for purification and liquefaction.