• UK companies' partnership turns wastewater into clean hydrogen using climate technology.
• Wastewater across the UK could produce sufficient hydrogen to power all buses and coaches plying across the country.

In a first-of-its-kind project in the UK, a Manchester pilot is converting biogas from wastewater to produce clean hydrogen.

United Utilities, a UK company providing water and wastewater services, has joined forces with climate technology firm Levidian to conduct this trial, which is taking place at the Davyhulme Wastewater Treatment Works, one of the largest wastewater treatment centres in the UK.

What are they doing?

They use biogas from sewage containing methane, which is trapped and processed through a device called LOOP, developed by Levidian.

Levidian's LOOP technology splits methane into carbon and hydrogen via electromagnetic waves. The resultant hydrogen can be used as a clean fuel, and the carbon is captured in its solid form, graphene, which is very strong and lightweight.

The hydrogen from the process could be used to run buses and lorries and added to home heating systems to reduce emissions. Research carried out by United Utilities and Levidian says that if this process were expanded, sewage wastewater across the country could be used to produce 75,000 tonnes of hydrogen a year—equivalent to powering about 40% of all UK bus and coach journeys.

READ MORE: World's First Plant Turns Wastewater Into Sustainable Marine Fuel

The graphene produced during the process plays a larger role and adds value, as it can be used in numerous industries, with applications ranging from making longer-lasting tyres to improving battery or solar panel performance. This could subsequently lower the cost of hydrogen production, which is currently hindering the expansion and wider adoption of such projects.

This pilot aims to reduce carbon emissions and adopt a circular economy, where waste is transformed into useful products. United Utilities already produces biomethane using sewage sludge, and now, they are exploring different ways to scale up hydrogen production in the region, with support from industry partners to develop a hydrogen network in the North West.

John Hartley, CEO of Levidian, said: “Hydrogen is set to play a critical role in meeting the UK’s legally binding commitment to achieve net zero by 2050 but is currently being held back due to the cost of production – an issue we hope to unlock here in Manchester as we continue to scale our LOOP technology to industrial levels.”

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Source: United Utilities