H2SITE develops solutions for the production and separation of high-purity hydrogen from multiple feedstocks such as ammonia, methanol or blends with natural gas and syngas based on palladium-alloy membranes. The company's value proposition is the integrated membrane reactor & separation technology that allows the production and separation of pure hydrogen in a single step, improving process efficiency while reducing footprint, emissions and costs. H2SITE seeks to position in key segments such as natural hydrogen, maritime or natural gas infrastructure in order to enable the transport of hydrogen through its energy carriers.

Palladium-alloy membranes are composed by a dense selective layer that is only selective to hydrogen so only high-purity hydrogen may goes through it. These membranes then guarantee the quality of the hydrogen for any process downstream such as fuel cell, internal combustion engines or industrial chemical processes. H2SITE membrane manufacturing line located in Bilbao, Spain, is the result of more than 10 years of R&D development on these membranes to scale up the technology, drastically reduce costs and increase the performance of these membranes over other separation technologies.

These membranes are integrated in vessels to provide reaction and separation solutions for many different applications such as large-scale ammonia crackers, onboard ammonia crackers and methanol systems for the shipping industry, natural (or geological) hydrogen separators, gas infrastructure management applications and H₂ underground storage, water-gas shift reactors or industrial separation. Always producing high-purity hydrogen with high efficiency in the reconversion of the feedstock and a reduced footprint as reaction & separation is integrated in a single step.

2024 PROJECTS

• Name: Ammogen Project
• Location: Birmingham, UK
• Status: On-going
• H2Site will provide the ammonia cracking and membrane separation technology to produce 200 kg/day of hydrogen, ready for mobility applications in the Birmingham area.
• Ammogen Project Collaborators: Tyseley Energy Park (TEP), Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), Gemserv, EQUANS, Yara International, University of Birmingham.

H2SITE offer two types of business model.

1. Turnkey solutions

H2SITE develop and build membrane reactors and separators to fully fulfill an application requirement. These systems, of smaller scale (up to 20 tonsH₂/d), would be delivered as containerized solutions to provide high-pure hydrogen from any hydrogen carrier as feedstock.

H2SITE would sell the system unit and provide a Service Level Agreement (SLA) to guarantee hydrogen purity and production capacity over the extent of the contract. Membrane and catalyst replacement, as well as low level maintenance of the equipment, will be covered by this Service.

1. Membrane reactors & separators

For large-scale units (over 20 tonsH₂/d) H2SITE would provide membrane reactors and separators to be implemented in the 3rd party full-scale plant process flow. In this way, the focus of the system will be placed in the core unit: to manufacture and integrate the membrane in the equipment that meets scale and quality needed.

• Single step reaction & separation systems

Integrated membrane reactors allow the production and separation of high-purity hydrogen in one step. This invokes Le Chatelier's principle what pushes the conversion of the feedstock into hydrogen and reduces the needed working temperature of the reaction.

• Low-temperature & high-efficiency ammonia cracking membrane reactors

Traditional ammonia crackers usually work at temperatures around 800ºC, what make the process more difficult to handle due to higher energy needs and materials mechanical integrity.

H2SITE's ammonia cracking reaction can work under 450ºC, what allows the use of electrical heating for this process, reduce the energy demand of the cracker and allow to achieve the maximum efficiency for cracking ammonia into hydrogen.

• Compact footprint for hydrogen production & separation

As the conversion is pushed forward, the reaction is faster and the need of reaction volume and catalyst is minimized. Moreover, as the separation is also done in a single step, there is no need of further equipment such as a Pressure Swing Adsorber (PSA) that heavily impacts in the hydrogen recovery, footprint and electrical consumption of the overall solution.

Moreover, the high hydrogen recovery of H2SITE membrane reactors and separators ensure that the equipment upstream does not need to be oversized, further reducing the needs in the footprint.

These features make H2SITE pure separators and reactor/separators the smallest system to produce high-pure hydrogen from ammonia or blends of any hydrogen concentration.

• Flexible separation process for varying flows and hydrogen concentrations

H2SITE's palladium-alloy membranes work in continuous form separating high-purity hydrogen from any other component with high permeation and selectivity.

This allow to separate hydrogen in concentrations ranging from 2% and over 98% with high hydrogen recovery and low energy loses.

• Low-emission systems

In the end, having a system that produces more hydrogen with less feedstock working at lower temperature and with the same energy requirements lead to lower emission production in the form of NOx or other CO₂eq.

This is due to the fact that membrane reactor systems do not need to burn the feedstock to produce hydrogen and may only crack the ammonia or reform the methanol, reducing the CO₂ produced and the amount of NOₓ generated. This make H2SITE solution to produce one of the least gCO₂ per MJ of energy delivered.

Large scale ammonia cracking

½ NH₃ → H₂ + N₂

This is the core ammonia cracking reaction. However, to obtain pure hydrogen, further separation is required and integrated reactor is the most efficient choice.

This energy carrier must be reconverted into high-purity hydrogen near the point of use or at import hubs, where the ammonia will undergo cracking and separation. These hubs, primarily located in ports or well-connected nodes, will focus on process efficiency and the conversion rates from ammonia to hydrogen.

Integrated membrane reactors maximize hydrogen recovery from ammonia by enabling both reaction and separation in a single step. Since a significant portion of the reconversion cost is attributable to feedstock prices, H2SITE technology offers highly competitive hydrogen costs for large-scale production.

Onboard hydrogen production systems for maritime solutions

The maritime regulatory framework aims to eliminate emissions from the industry, which currently contributes to 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. H2SITE efficiently reconvert ammonia into high-purity hydrogen, reacting and separating H₂ in a single step, operating at lower temperatures and eliminating the need for a second process. Overall, H2SITE’s efficiency can reach 90 %, making it the most efficient and less polluting solution in the market. In addition, H2SITE membranes can also be integrated in WGS reactors after methanol reformers to provide maximum CO conversion and high-pure hydrogen in systems with minimum footprint.

Natural hydrogen separators

Extracting naturally occurring hydrogen has the potential to be the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution, accelerating the transition to decarbonization.

Locating hydrogen can be challenging, and in most cases, it appears mixed with other molecules like helium or others that need separating to valorize the gases. H2SITE separate hydrogen from the most complex blends, including mixtures with CO, CO₂, N₂, CH₄, and even He, even when the hydrogen concentration is just 2 %. The solutions provided by H2SITE recover 98 % of hydrogen in a high-purity flow. This separation adds value to both the hydrogen flow and the permeate stream, which now contains helium or other gases that can also be sold.

The palladium-alloy membranes from H2SITE have been tested under conditions where no other membrane can operate, while still delivering top purity and efficiency.

Gas infrastructure management solutions

In the shift to hydrogen, an efficient gas network is key for cost-effective distribution from production or import hubs to end-users. Ensuring the hydrogen’s efficiency and purity is crucial to meet industry standards.

The shift to this model poses challenges in synchronizing production variability with demand, ensuring a consistent supply to end users and connecting regions with diverse specifications. Ultimately, end users demand high-purity hydrogen.

H2SITE offers efficient solutions designed to operate at variable loads, ensuring adaptation to the fluctuating supply and demand of the network while maintaining compliance with network specifications. The distinctive selectivity of H2SITE membranes enables the extraction of fuel cell purity hydrogen from concentrations as low as 2 %. This capability allows the supply of hydrogen to end users who have not yet decarbonized, providing a hydrogen-free flow.

• Underground Storage: Flexible and highly efficient hydrogen purification solution for variable flows at large facilities.

• Hydrogen cap for regulation: A solution to maintain the hydrogen percentage at appropriate levels despite variations in supply and demand and specifications.

• Hydrogen Supply from gas grid blends: Solution to deliver high-purity hydrogen to end users at the point of use, even in flows with only a 2 % hydrogen concentration.

• Deblender for natural gas purification: Supply end users with a hydrogen-free flow while continue working on decarbonizing their infrastructure.

H₂ underground storage

Large underground storage facilities will store hydrogen for extended periods. These facilities are responsible for ensuring a sufficient hydrogen supply, despite fluctuations in production and demand.

Hydrogen can be stored in cavities such as salt caverns, aquifers, or depleted fields, each presenting unique challenges. The paramount concerns include ensuring compliance with network specifications, while maximizing the asset capacity and hydrogen utilization. H2SITE recovers the maximum amount of hydrogen from storage, achieving a 98 % extraction rate, while simultaneously producing fuel cell purity in a single step. The continuous flow system can operate at flexible loads and adapt to various concentration levels.

The performance of H2SITE membranes enables a remarkably small footprint. These membranes permeate substantial amounts of hydrogen with minimal surface area.

Water-gas shift reactors

Technologies that maximize CO conversion into hydrogen while maintaining CO₂ partial pressure are crucial for the hydrogen economy. WGS membrane reactors offer the ideal solution for this challenge.

The Water-Gas Shift (WGS) process is a well-established method for producing H₂ and CO₂ from CO-rich syngas streams. It is commonly incorporated into the hydrogen production process from biogas or biomethane following steam methane reforming. In recent years, it has also been applied after pyrolysis and gasification processes. In all these scenarios, an additional WGS step is crucial to increase the hydrogen yield and separate it in a high-purity form.

H2SITE’s membrane reactor technology enables high-purity hydrogen reaction and separation in one step, reducing footprint and boosting efficiency through over 98% CO conversion. This maximizes hydrogen extraction and produces high-pressure CO₂-rich streams, enhancing carbon capture potential.

Purification

Hydrogen will play a crucial role in decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors, serving as feedstock, burned for heat or power generation, and powering electricity through fuel cells. The hydrogen supply must adhere to specific standards for each application.

H2SITE produces pure hydrogen, enabling its utilization in even the most demanding applications. The solutions offer flexibility, suitable for virtually any size, with minimal monitoring requirements. H2SITE units consistently produce high-purity hydrogen and possess adaptability for various applications. Their versatility in terms of gas mixture, hydrogen concentration, and size, combined with an easy operating mode, allows seamless adaptation to any end use.

The palladium-alloy membranes are exclusively selective to hydrogen, ensuring pure hydrogen in any given situation.