A Novel Sorbent-assisted Steam Methane Reforming Process for Production of Blue Hydrogen

Statement of the problem or situation that is being addressed …
Hydrogen (H2) is an industrial feedstock and a key component of future energy systems, providing
a low/zero carbon emitting energy source. While the production of green hydrogen (produced via
wind or nuclear-powered electrolysis) is attractive for its low CO2 emissions, its cost is very high,
limiting the widespread use of H2 as a clean fuel in power generation and transportation. Blue
hydrogen produced primarily via steam-methane-reforming (SMR) with carbon capture is a much
lower cost and potentially low carbon impact alternative, however, the cost of blue hydrogen still
needs to be reduced by 45% or more to meet DOE’s near-term goals ($1/kg H2).
General statement of how this problem is being addressed…
TDA Research Inc. proposes to develop a new SMR process integrated with a carbon capture
sorbent that will produce high purity H2 and a concentrated CO2 stream for sequestration. The
integration of the reforming process with carbon capture shifts the equilibrium limited reforming
process, providing an increased H2 yield in a single step, greatly reducing the cost of H2.
What is to be done in Phase I? (Typically three to four sentences).
Our specific Phase I objectives include: (i) process design and techno-economic feasibility
analysis, and/or (ii) laboratory proof of concepts of the novel process and the material that can
efficiently capture process CO2 associated with production of hydrogen from natural gas. In
Phase I, we will optimize the operation of the new sorbent and evaluate different sorbent
formulations in bench-scale proof-of-concept tests to identify those with the high CO2 uptake. We
will optimize the sorbent composition to minimize the energy requirement for sorbent
regeneration. We will assess the sorbent life (both chemical and mechanical stability) over 1000
cycles. In a detailed process design and simulation effort, we will estimate the overall cost of the
produced H2 and the overall carbon capture cost, following the DOE/NETL cost estimate
guidelines.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits …
With TDA’s integrated process will carry out several major processes (steam reforming, watergas-
shift, H2 separation and carbon capture) in a single step leads to process intensification which
in turn improves the process efficiency and reduces overall cost. Reducing the cost of clean H2
would unlock new markets, including steel manufacturing, clean ammonia, energy storage and
heavy-duty trucks. The expansion of blue H2 would mean more clean energy jobs, reduced
greenhouse gas emissions.