Green hydrogen electrolyser developments in the pipeline for Wales & West Utilities

Wales & West Utilities (WWU) has announced it will lead a project to further develop an electrolyser, which can produce green hydrogen from highly contaminated industrial wastewater sources.

Working with HydroStar and Cardiff University, the new technology will be used for water high in micro plastic and heavy metal pollution, which would normally be unsuitable for the process.

Green hydrogen production typically requires highly purified water, which is expensive and puts high demands on the energy and water system, as well as needing energy intensive water purification plants. The pollutant removal process also produces hydrogen and oxygen as byproducts, which can be captured as high value goods to recover the energy costs of pollutant removal from the water.

By combining pollutant removal with the low-carbon hydrogen production process, the device is expected to reduce operational barriers, enabling the delivery of lower-cost green hydrogen to customers.

The pollutant removal process also produces hydrogen and oxygen as byproducts, which can be captured as high value goods to recover the energy costs of pollutant removal from the water.

The project builds on, and complements, planned future phases of the NextGen electrolyser project, which is supported by Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund. The NextGen prototype uses wastewater, like rainwater, to produce green hydrogen. This phase will also drive research and development into new electrode designs to optimise the existing NextGen unit.

Matt Hindle, Head of Net Zero & Sustainability at Wales & West Utilities said:

“This is an exciting opportunity to build on the work already underway as part of the existing NextGen concept. We see hydrogen playing a significant role in a future energy system, however, there are currently high operational barriers and costs associated with its production.

“By using different water sources – be it wastewater like rainwater, or contaminated water from industry, we can make green hydrogen production more accessible and more affordable.

“We are looking forward to working with Cardiff University and HydroStar to further develop this technology.”

Charlie Newbold, Head of Operations at HydroStar added:

“We’re delighted to be working with Wales & West Utilities and Cardiff University to develop the technology. HydroStar will be investigating different electrode designs and operational conditions to optimise flotation and coagulation processes, whilst Cardiff University will focus on the interaction between the gas bubbles and pollutants for effective capture and removal.

“WWU will manage project governance and communications, identifying customers across the gas network who could benefit from the combined solution.”

The project will kick off this summer, with the prototype ready by March 2025. The project secured Innovate UK Launchpad: NetZero Industry, South West Wales funding. Located in south-west Wales and developed in collaboration with local leadership to strengthen innovation in targeted clusters across the UK, this Launchpad is dedicated to the pursuit of sustainable solutions in net zero industrial emissions. Further information can be found here.

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