Metacon AB's wholly owned Greek subsidiary, Metacon S.A. of Patras, has been awarded European Union project funding to develop and demonstrate hydrogen production from biomethane under the BIOH2VAP project. The effective amount covered by the grant is approximately €241,920.
The project is intended to validate Metacon's reforming technology in an industrial biogas setting and to assess the commercial potential of converting locally produced biomethane into renewable hydrogen.
Pilot plant at an existing biogas site in Crete
As part of the work, a pilot plant will be constructed at an existing industrial biogas plant in Ierapetra, Crete. It is to cover biogas upgrading, biomethane production and demonstration of reforming-based hydrogen generation. Operating the plant and collecting data under industrial conditions is expected to give Metacon an opportunity to evaluate and refine technical performance and operating efficiency, and to prepare the technology for commercial deployment.
The budget for Metacon S.A.'s project is €302,400, of which €241,920 is covered by public funding.
Adding to a commercialization roadmap
For Metacon, the project adds to the commercialization roadmap for its proprietary reforming technology and supports the development of hydrogen solutions that use renewable feedstocks. The company also says the work creates a platform for assessing how hydrogen production can be integrated with existing biogas infrastructure and local residue streams, with the aim of improving resource efficiency and strengthening the business case for circular hydrogen production.
Christer Wikner, President and CEO of Metacon, said the BIOH2VAP project gives the company a new industrial platform to demonstrate clean hydrogen production from biomethane and to optimize its commercial potential. He added that it expands Metacon's industrial testing base for its reforming technology and will support commercialization plans targeting future deployment at the thousands of existing places internationally where biogas infrastructure and local renewables are already available.