France: CARBONLOOP and HAFFNER ENERGY have recently revealed that they have entered into an agreement for the delivery and implementation of HYNOCA® facilities in the initial two Hydrogen and biochar production sites from biomass. As per the official announcement, two purchase orders have been executed by HAFFNER ENERGY for the supply, deployment, and commissioning of the first two HYNOCA® stations at CARBONLOOP sites. These orders are an important component of the Commercial Contract that was executed between the two companies back in October 2021.
CARBONLOOP has been granted permission by several sites to produce a substantial amount of Hydrogen and biochar. From 7,000 tons of biomass residues per year, the company will produce 225 tons of Hydrogen and 1,100 tons of biochar. The process will also result in the sequestration of approximately 2,400 tons of CO2. A bonus is that these results will be certified by carbon credits.
The Hydrogen produced by CARBONLOOP will be sold to HYLIKO (Kouros Group), which will then distribute it to various service stations used by trucks in their network.
CARBONLOOP will also supply the agricultural sector with the biochar generated during the process. Biochar has beneficial properties such as water retention and fertilisation and will be used to revitalize soils in the face of growing water scarcity and increasing nitrogen fertiliser costs.
CARBONLOOP has announced that it will establish its inaugural site in Villabe (Essonne), conveniently located near the HYLIKO distribution station, on the southern outskirts of Paris along the A6 motorway. The Hydrogen fuel produced through the conversion of biomass residues will be utilized to power the initial set of trucks in the Paris region. CARBONLOOP has also disclosed plans to reveal a follow-up site during the year 2023.
These directives serve as a validation for HAFFNER ENERGY that the HYNOCA® technology is indeed effective in producing Hydrogen and biochar from leftover biomass. The HYNOCA® technology, developed after almost a decade of research and development, employs a three-stage approach to generating Hydrogen from biomass residues. In the first stage, a thermolysis unit breaks down heated biomass into a solid residue (biochar) and a gas that, in the second stage, undergoes high-temperature refinement in a cracking unit. Lastly, the gas is purified in a third unit, retaining only the Hydrogen.
The HYNOCA® process has been recognized by the IPCC for producing biochar, which acts as a sustainable carbon sink. This innovative process not only produces renewable Hydrogen but also facilitates the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere in an environmentally sustainable manner.
Amidst soaring energy prices, the significance of two projects that advocate the effective use of biomass residues cannot be ignored. Alongside contributing to the rapid decarbonization of road freight transportation and the restoration of soil, these projects provide a compelling case for the valorization of biomass residues. Biomass thermolysis comes as a flexible and adjunct alternative to water electrolysis for generating renewable Hydrogen, thereby promoting territorial resilience and local resource development.
