Powerhouse Energy boosts hydrogen output in waste-to-fuel trials
Powerhouse Energy Group PLC (AIM:PHE) has reported encouraging progress at its test site in Bridgend, Wales, where it is developing technology to turn unrecyclable plastics and other waste into clean energy.
The AIM-listed company said its pilot plant had produced more hydrogen than expected in a series of recent trials.
Using mixed plastic waste, the system generated between 3 and 3.5 tonnes of hydrogen a day at high purity levels, compared with the 2.5 to 3 tonnes originally forecast.
Hydrogen is seen by policymakers and industry as a key fuel in the transition away from fossil fuels, with applications ranging from powering heavy transport to producing low-carbon steel.
Powerhouse’s system, known as Distributed Modular Generation, heats waste in a specially designed furnace to create a synthetic gas, or syngas, from which hydrogen can be extracted.
The company said design changes, made with input from Manchester University, had improved heat retention and reduced unwanted residue during processing.
Paul Emmitt, chief executive, said:
The validation of our system with both native and mixed waste plastics, especially the higher-than-expected hydrogen yields, reinforces our confidence in the technology and its commercial potential.
The company added that while results from solid recovered fuel, a type of processed waste widely used in energy-from-waste plants, were in line with expectations, mixed plastics offered the strongest potential for hydrogen production.
Further tests are underway using “real-life” waste streams from potential customers. Powerhouse is also experimenting with ways to make use of leftover material from the process to improve its economics.
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Powerhouse Energy boosts hydrogen output in waste-to-fuel trials, source
