PETRONAS and Heriot-Watt explore hydrogen from biomass

The partnership will focus on jointly developing cost-effective technologies for producing hydrogen from biomass in line with both organisations’ aspiration for a carbon-neutral future and circular economy.

Research aims to advance techniques to use thermochemical reactions to produce hydrogen from biomass and other waste materials, as well as exploring solutions to address scalability and storage — main barriers in popularising hydrogen as an alternative energy — to promote adoption globally.

The £1m project is a collaboration under PETRONAS Centre of Excellence in Subsurface Engineering and Energy Transition (PACESET), one of the three Global Technology Centres established by PETRONAS and its academic partners to advance cleaner energy solutions. PACESET is based at Heriot-Watt University, Scotland.

Initially, research will focus on utilising the estimated 4m tonnes of waste and by-products created by distilleries in the UK and the approximately 127m tonnes of agricultural waste generated annually in Malaysia for hydrogen production. The academic team will also explore storage solutions aiming to utilise depleted oil wells for pure hydrogen storage without the need to add natural gas for stability.

“Hydrogen is seen as a key contributor to the energy transition, but current production and storage methods face multiple scalability challenges,” said Professor Raffaella Ocone, who is leading the research at Heriot-Watt’s Institute of Geoenergy Engineering.

“Biomass and biomass-derived fuels can be used to produce hydrogen sustainably and our multidisciplinary team is uniquely placed to address the current barriers by bringing together engineers, scientists, geologists, and industry partners.”

PETRONAS Group Research and Technology Head (UK Research & Technology), Dr Gboyega Bishop Falope, added: “Sustainability is at the core of PETRONAS’ business model. We place high emphasis on reducing emissions through technological advancements and digitalisation, in line with our Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050 aspiration. 

“We are confident this research will elevate the contribution hydrogen can make as part of the world’s energy mix, and to be part of the holistic solution that brings forth a sustainable future.”