UK government launches Hydrogen BECCS Innovation Program

The U.K. government on Jan. 12 announced the launch of the new Hydrogen BECCS Innovation Program, which aims to support the development of innovative technologies that will generate hydrogen from biomass and waste feedstocks via bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS).

The £5 million program is administered by the U.K. Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. According to the BEIS, the program aims to support the development of innovative hydrogen BECCS technology solutions across three categories. The first is feedstock pre-processing, focused on the development of low-cost, energy and material efficient technologies that will optimize biomass and waste feedstocks used in advanced gasification technologies. The second is the development of advanced gasification technology components. The BEIS described advanced gasification technologies as those that can be used to convert biomass or waste into aviation fuel, diesel, hydrogen, methane and other hydrocarbons. The third is the development of novel biohydrogen technologies that can be combined with carbon capture. The BEIS offered dark fermentation, anaerobic digestion and waste water treatment as some of examples of these novel technologies.

The program is broken down into two phases. In the first phase, successful applicants will receive funding to develop their hydrogen BECCS innovation, demonstrate its feasibility and prepare project plans. Projects selected for phase one funding are eligible to apply for phase two, which will support a physical demonstration of the hydrogen BECCS technology.

Phase one applications are due March 4. Additional information is available on the BEIS website.