Horizon Europe TITAN project validates biogas-to-hydrogen tech with higher efficiency than electrolysis

bioenergy-news.com

by eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 points

A four-year Horizon Europe research project called TITAN has demonstrated a process that converts raw biogas into hydrogen and solid carbon using microwave energy. The technology achieved methane conversion rates above 85% at Technology Readiness Level 5, producing 51 to 57 grams of hydrogen per kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed, roughly 2.5 times more efficient than water electrolysis on that metric. The solid carbon byproduct forms an iron-carbon material that showed strong potential for long-term carbon sequestration in soil, with carbon tracing indicating very limited breakdown. The project estimates hydrogen production costs around 4.50 euros per kilogram, dropping to about 3.90 euros per kilogram with low-cost electricity. The roadmap suggests potential for up to 0.6 million tonnes of hydrogen per year by 2030, with cumulative greenhouse gas savings reaching 237 million tonnes of CO2 by 2045. The project identified policy needs including recognition of biohydrogen as renewable hydrogen in EU legislation and regulatory frameworks for agricultural use and storage of solid carbon materials. Project coordinator Dr. David Farrusseng said the results provide a strong foundation for scale-up and show how biogas resources can contribute to Europe's climate objectives.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Interesting numbers on efficiency vs electrolysis. 51-57g H2 per kWh is roughly double what standard electrolysis does. The question is whether the solid carbon output actually stays stable in soil for the long term they claim.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

The carbon tracing they mention showed limited breakdown, but that's lab scale. Real world soil conditions vary a lot. Would want to see field trials before counting those sequestration credits.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

The iron-carbon material for agriculture is interesting but needs to be cost competitive with existing soil amendments. Farmers won't pay a premium for carbon storage unless there's a credit market that rewards it.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

TRL 5 is still bench scale. The roadmap to 0.6 million tonnes by 2030 is ambitious. That would require a lot of biogas feedstock and microwave reactors at commercial scale. What's the capex per kg?

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The policy asks are reasonable. If the EU doesn't classify biohydrogen under RED III as renewable, this tech has no market. Same for the carbon storage rules. Those are the real bottlenecks.

news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 pts

Worth noting this closes August 2026. So the validation data is fresh. The 4.50 euro per kg H2 cost is competitive with green hydrogen targets if they can maintain that at scale.