Tetronics, a world leader in plasma arc systems focused on decarbonizing challenging industrial processes, is proud to receive a second contract award from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), funded through the net-zero innovation portfolio (NZIP), for phase two of the UK government’s low-carbon H₂ supply 2 competitions (HYS2).

The £3.6-MM contract for HYS2 phase two follows a successful seven-month project to research, design, build and trial a first-of-its-kind Tetronics H₂ Plasmolysis (THP) system. That pioneering work demonstrated the benefits of plasma-assisted H₂ production by achieving high yields with a lower electricity demand than the current electrolysis industrial benchmark.

The phase one trial plant achieved a specific gross energy requirement of 36-40 kWh_e/kg H₂ using a water-based electrolyte. This represents an improvement over commercial polymer exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells of approximately 40% and suggests that plasma could be instrumental in achieving a competitive, energy efficient, green H₂ supply solution.

Tetronics believes that further benefits of its THP system – compared with current electrolysis technologies – include significant greenhouse gas reductions, improved competitivity at small and large scale, and smaller physical plant footprint for equivalent H₂ production.

The primary aim of phase two is to design, build and test a plasmolysis demonstration plant whilst integrating the THP system into wider process units to produce H₂ of a suitable purity, and levelized cost of production, for end use at a near commercial scale. It will be specified to produce up to 7 kg/h of H₂, with a 300 kWe power input, which will be delivered at a comparable scale to commercially available electrolysis plants.

The THP plant will be designed to have a longer life cycle of circa 20 yr instead of the 7 yr−11 yr average for PEM cells. The HYS2 demonstration plant will come online in the second half of 2024 and, when combined with existing downstream treatment units, will feed a H₂ burner meeting type 1, grade E, cat A requirements.

Tetronics is the most experienced plasma company in the world; founded on five decades of R&D and 127 patents (granted and pending), with over 20 yr of operational expertise, across 97 global reference sites. Most of these existing applications are in resource recovery from challenging waste streams, including automotive or industrial catalysts, and decarbonization of heat intensive manufacturing processes – such as steel, glass and cement. World class clients include Harsco, HitachiZosen, Mitsubishi, Nippon Steel and Outokumpu. More recently the company has been researching green H₂ production using Tetronics’ H₂ Plasmolysis (THP) Technology.

Graeme Rumbol, Chief Executive of Tetronics, said, “We are delighted to have achieved sufficiently strong trial results in phase one of the HYS2 compeition to be selected by DESNZ for a demonstration project under phase two. That trial took plasma-based H₂ engineering and production beyond the scale achieved by previous groups. It showed that our highly scalable, compact and cost effective THP process offers significant improvements in energy efficiency for green H₂ production, whilst delivering considerable greenhouse gas reductions.

“Under phase two we look forward to combining Tetronics’ fifty years of plasma expertise with DESNZ’s funding, guidance and contacts to further optimize and refine our proprietary THP process, increase its Technology Readiness Level, and work towards a 1-MW reference plant – while helping to accelerate the UK’s green economy and create significant global exports.”

The HYS2 competition forms part of the Department’s £1-B net-zero innovation portfolio, which aims to accelerate the commercialization of innovative clean energy technologies and processes through the 2020s and 2030s. More specifically, HYS2 aims to catalyze innovative solutions for H₂ production, storage and transport applications – reducing costs and ensuring that the UK continues to develop world leading technologies for a future H₂ economy.

UK Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, Lord Callanan, said, “H₂, known as the super fuel of the future, is critical to delivering UK energy security and clean, sustainable growth. “I’m delighted that we have awarded funding to Tetronics so that they can build and test their first-of-a-kind H₂ technology. This will generate opportunities for UK businesses to export their expertise around the world whilst supporting our ambition to have amongst the cheapest energy in Europe.”