“H2SITE has built similar units operating at high pressure levels and is developing large-scale projects in Europe”
H2SITE, a TECNALIA invested company, has started up a membrane separator that extracts hydrogen blends with concentrations ranging between 5% and 20% and purity of over 99%.
The separation unit where these breakthroughs have been achieved is installed in Zamudio (Bizkaia) in a natural gas distribution network. It works with hydrogen concentrations between 5% and 20%. It is the first facility to use palladium-based alloy membrane separators and it achieves a hydrogen recovery rate of 97% with a purity of over 99%.
H2SITE has also built similar units operating at high pressure levels and is developing large-scale projects in Europe.
H2SAREA, a project by H2SITE
The H2SAREA project by H2SITE has been able to prove that the distribution infrastructure is compatible with the transport of hydrogen and renewable natural gas blends, enabling the use of both pure fuels in sectors where each provides maximum value thanks to its membrane separator technology.
“We have achieved the separation of more than 97% of hydrogen at very high purity in the original gas stream, while ensuring that the natural gas we supply meets the specifications of today’s users,” says Andrés Galnares, CEO of H2SITE.
With this project, H2SITE has successfully validated the feasibility of separating hydrogen blends with hydrogen concentrations ranging between 5% and 20% in the gas network of the regional distribution system operator (DSO) Nortegas.
It is also committed to making a significant contribution to the transition towards a cleaner and more sustainable energy matrix, and it shares the vision with Nortegas of implementing advanced hydrogen solutions within the natural gas grid. The technology validation of H2SAREA is a breakthrough for low-cost hydrogen transport solutions.
About H2SITE
H2SITE came about in 2020 from the collaboration of the TECNALIA applied research and technological development centre, through its Deep Tech Venture Builder, TECNALIA Ventures with the French company ENGIE New Ventures and the Eindhoven University of Technology (TUe).
It has unique technology for reactors and separators that facilitate the conversion of different feedstocks into hydrogen, such as ammonia, methanol, syngas and the separation of hydrogen from gaseous mixtures in low concentrations for applications in salt caverns or geological hydrogen.
