1.9 Renewable hydrogen

1.9 Renewable hydrogen Bruno Prior Mon, 14/12/2020 - 17:47
  1. Another of our investments was in renewable hydrogen, from 2004, before it became trendy and recognised in policy circles. We identified a landfill site near Cambridge with substantial gas production but an impossibly-expensive electricity connection cost (at the time, it was later to change). We developed a hydrogen electrolysis plant powered by renewable electricity from the landfill site as an alternative way of using the energy and to learn about a potentially-promising technology.
  2. Our experience was that it was much more challenging, technically and economically, than is portrayed by its many current advocates. It was eventually (in 2010) broken up and sold abroad.
  3. Of course, technology advances and the challenges may be less now, but it is noticeable that many hydrogen proponents are not people who have built and run a hydrogen production plant for long enough to learn about its strengths and weaknesses, but rather equipment sellers, hopeful developers, academics or lobbyists.