Metacon AB's wholly owned Greek subsidiary, Metacon S.A. of Patras, has been awarded European Union project funding to develop and demonstrate hydrogen production from biomethane under the BIOH2VAP project.
The project is intended to validate Metacon's reforming technology in an industrial biogas setting and to assess the commercial potential of converting locally produced biomethane into renewable hydrogen. The effective amount covered by the grant is approximately €241,920.
As part of the project, a pilot plant will be built at an existing industrial biogas plant in Ierapetra, Crete. It is to cover biogas upgrading, biomethane production and the demonstration of reforming-based hydrogen generation. Operating and collecting data under industrial conditions are expected to allow the company to evaluate and refine technical performance and operating efficiency, and to prepare for commercial deployment.
Metacon S.A.'s project budget is €302,400, of which €241,920 is covered by public funding. The company said the project adds to the commercialization roadmap for its proprietary reforming technology and supports the development of hydrogen solutions that use renewable feedstocks.
Metacon also said the project creates a platform for assessing how hydrogen production can be integrated with existing biogas infrastructure and local residue streams, with the aim of improving resource efficiency and strengthening the business case for circular hydrogen production.
"The BIOH2VAP project gives us a new industrial platform to demonstrate clean hydrogen production from biomethane and optimize its commercial potential," said Christer Wikner, President and CEO of Metacon. He said it expands the company's industrial testing base for its reforming technology and will support commercialization plans targeting future deployment at thousands of existing places internationally where biogas infrastructure and local renewables are already available.