Dr Carlos Fernandez c.fernandez@rgu.ac.uk
Senior Lecturer
Green hydrogen from brewing biomass
People Involved
Dr Alberto Di Salvo
TONY WAGSTAFF
Project Description
Aberdeen has purchased and put into operation the world’s first fleet of double decker buses powered by hydrogen. The local authority’s aim is to advance Aberdeen into a world leading Hydrogen City and to develop Scotland’s first commercially scalable, investable, hydrogen production and distribution facility, making use of the region’s renewable resources to provide a truly ‘green’ fuel supply.
In order to enable the local authority to achieve its goals, it is necessary to provide a truly ‘green’ fuel and make use of the region’s renewable resources. Green hydrogen has been identified as one of the most environmentally benign alternatives to fossil fuels.
Currently, however, the generation of hydrogen, as a replacement fuel, is associated with energy-intensive production methods. It is essential to identify a less energy-intensive system for the production of green hydrogen without absorbing a vast portion of the renewable energy produced in Scotland.
Methanol and ethanol are good candidates for the replacement of water as a source of hydrogen by electrolysis, as they require less energy. However, they are key products already used at large scale by many industries and therefore would be at a competitive disadvantage.
When considering alternatives to water and alcohols, while focusing on the region’s renewable resources, it makes sense to consider brewer’s spent grains, generally discarded by the brewing industry
Aside from facilitating their disposal, spent brewer’s grains are rich in polysaccharides, which can be used as feedstock in an electrochemical cell purposely designed for the production of hydrogen, which has been shown to reduce the voltage required tenfold in a similar system.
| Status | Project Complete |
|---|---|
| Funder(s) | Royal Society of Edinburgh |
| Value | £10,000.00 |
| Project Dates | Jun 27, 2022 - Jun 26, 2023 |
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