United Utilities to host hydrogen-plus-graphene-from-biogas trial

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

United Utilities is collaborating with climate technology company, Levidian in developing a system to convert methane in biogas to hydrogen and a microscopically thin-yet-tough form of carbon that has many potential uses including construction.

The water company plans to install a trial of Levidian’s system, Loop100 for converting methane into its constituent elements, hydrogen and carbon

The trial at United Utilities’ Bioresources Centre will follow a feasibility study and will, according to the water firm, serve as the first demonstration of Loop100. The project has been awarded funding from of £3m by Department of Energy Security and Net Zero Hydrogen BECCS Innovation Programme competition and will comprise more than 1,000 hours of in-situ testing of the production of separated hydrogen and graphene.

As part of the project, Liverpool John Moores University will assess the potential usage of hydrogen within the Liverpool City Region and Jacobs will assess the project’s social value and commercialisation. And applications of the graphene produced by Loop100 will be developed jointly by Levidian and United Utilities with a focus on reducing the carbon footprint of concrete used within United Utilities’ capital programme.