Bioenergy with carbon capture, utilisation and storage (BECCUS) has the potential to provide net-negative emission hydrogen. However, a number of challenges (including feedstock flexibility, optimum process reactors for hydrogen-enriched syngas and syngas clean-up/separation) must be addressed before this opportunity can be realised. The UK’s recently published Biomass Strategy (August 2023) also recognised the importance of BECCS and its significant potential, as well as how it could play a significant role in meeting the net-zero target. However, the challenges are indeed multidisciplinary and intertwined with cross-cutting policy, life cycle assessment and socio-economics.

This project will develop an innovative concept for the net-negative emission biosyngas/hydrogen production (hydrogen-BECCUS) technology based on a novel integrated thermochemical process for non-recyclable municipal solid and biomass waste.

A pyrolysis-assisted gasification model with detailed tar kinetics, biosyngas upgrading and separation will be developed to optimise the yields of biosyngas/bio-H2. Various feedstocks (municipal solid waste (MSW), biomass and agri-waste) will be tested through modelling and experimentation, and through a sensitivity study, an optimum blend will be determined for hydrogen-enriched biosyngas.

The research will provide technical data for the investigation of viable pathways to embed the BECCUS technology in the context of circular economy, and support techno-economics for potential scaling-up to a small remote modular system and its implementation strategy in collaboration with the project partners and stakeholders. It will also explore an efficient route for potential sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from biosyngas working closely with the other co-investigators.

This project is led by Manosh Paul together with Akshay Bagde, and Heidi Teran Pradilla, University of Glasgow.

Progress Update 2025:

• Initial Hydrogen-Bioenergy with carbon capture, utilisation and storage (BECCUS) integrated model developed and findings reported as a paper in Biomass and Bioenergy, 198, 107855. (doi: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2025.107855).
• Various biomass feedstocks sourced from industrial partners, which have been prepared and analysed for Hydrogen-BECCUS process application.
• Initial gasification reactor level CFD developed and examined it under high-pressure conditions (journal paper under review).
• Invited talk by Akshay Bagde in Young Energy Researchers Conference, Wels, Austria, 4 March 2025.
• Poster presentation at UKCCSRC Spring Conference 2025, Glasgow, UK, 24–25 March 2025.
• Explored diverse applications of biochar derived from the process in thermal storage – paper published in Journal of Energy Storage, 84(B), 110995. (doi: 10.1016/j.est.2024.110995)