Finalist : Tesco T-Jam competition to enable leading supermarket to decarbonise their supply chain (September 2024)
Tesco PLC with sales of over £60bn is the UK’s largest supermarket chain and food retailer. Each year Tesco run their T-Jam competition to keep up-to-date with innovations in their supply chain and ESG credentials.
From more than 100 entries, Hydrogen Refinery was selected as one of 10 finalists.
Our solution to provide low-cost and carbon negative urea and ammonia nitrate fertilizer was the first technology named by the Tesco judges during the winning announcement.
We addressed the problem of fertilizer production, one of the highest costs and sources of carbon emissions in the food supply chain.
Winner : Climate Impact Innovations Challenge (CIIC) awards Hydrogen Refinery Rp3.3 billion in grant funding to pilot their solutions in Indonesia (September 2024)
East Ventures and Temasek Foundation are proud to conclude the Climate Impact Innovations Challenge (CIIC) 2024 Indonesia’s largest climate tech innovations competition.
This year, CIIC 2024 saw an overwhelming interest from innovators around the world, attracting over 500 applicants from 50 countries.
The nine finalists from seven different countries were selected from a highly competitive pool of innovators, and they have spent the past several months under the mentorship of industry leaders, refining their projects and scaling their potential to create lasting positive effects on the environment.
Hydrogen Refinery, selected as the winner in the Sustainable Agriculture track, with the main innovation of low-cost production of ammonia-based fertilizers via plasma electrolysis of waste to reduce up to 11 tonnes of GHG emissions per tonne of fertilizer.
NetZero Global, Hydrogen Refinery and Alterna Verde Join Forces to Launch Waste-to-Fertilizer Project in Bali, Indonesia (September 2024)
Hydrogen Refinery, NetZero Global, an environmental venture builder, and Alterna Verde, a pioneering energy and waste management company are proud to announce a groundbreaking collaboration to build, finance, and operate a cutting-edge waste-to-fertilizer project in Bali, Indonesia.
This ambitious venture comes on the heels of Hydrogen Refinery's selection as winner of the prestigious Temasek Foundation Environmental Technology Programme, solidifying the project’s status as a key initiative in Southeast Asia's agriculture and clean energy transition.
Revolutionizing Waste Management and Green Fertilizer in Indonesia
The partnership between these three industry leaders represents a major leap forward in Indonesia’s efforts to turn the management of waste and its challenges into a central component of the circular economy by generating green fertilizer and green energy from its waste.
Indonesia is the 5th largest user of fertilizer globally, consuming 12 million tonnes annually to feed a growing population. About half of this fertilizer is imported, presenting a major threat to Indonesia’s food security, foreign currency risks and supply chain environmental management.
Indonesia, according to the UN is the 5th largest generator of plastic waste and manages the Bantar Gebang waste site outside Jakarta as the largest landfill in SE Asia. Bantar Gebang, 18 stories high and visible from space is, via the circular economy, an ideal feedstock for green fertilizer and green energy.
Hydrogen Refinery's innovative waste-to-green fertilizer technology, developed from British military technology to convert waste into green, sustainable products, such as fertilizer, is core to the project and the creation of this circular economy and regenerative environmental programme. The 7,000 tonnes of waste collected every day in Bantar Gebang becomes the feedstock to create low-cost green urea fertilizer to support Indonesia’s farmers and replace up to 50% of the urea Indonesia currently imports. NetZero Global will bring its expertise in environmental venture building to structure and manage the project, ensuring its alignment with global environmental standards and maximizing its impact in both regeneration and decarbonisation. Alterna Verde will apply its extensive knowledge of energy and waste management within the Indonesian context, facilitating local operations and ensuring the project’s integration with national environmental goals.
Key Highlights of the Partnership:
Advanced Technology Deployment: Utilizing Hydrogen Refinery's military-grade waste-to-green fertilizer technology, the project will transform a significant portion of Indonesia’s waste into renewable fertilizers, reducing landfill use and greenhouse gas emissions.
Strategic Financing and Operations: With NetZero Global’s venture-building expertise, the project will be financed through NetZero’s Environmental Debt Facility and/or forward on environmental and social credits via the environmental markets, ensuring long-term economic sustainability, profitability and job creation. Alterna Verde will oversee the daily operations, leveraging its deep understanding of waste and energy sectors in Thailand and the Philippines.
Southeast Asia’s Green Energy Hub: The project aims to position Indonesia as a leader in waste-to-green fertilizer technology, improving its food security by reducing the reliance upon imported product and contributing to regional energy security, setting a benchmark for similar initiatives across Southeast Asia.
Why are we working in Bali, Indonesia ?
It doesn't matter if you grow rice, soya beans or palm oil. If you are a farmer, you're a gambler, because you only have the ability to use your land once. So to maximize your yields, fertilizer is used.
The trouble is that fertilizer prices vary enormously because they're linked to the price of natural gas. Indonesia imports 50% of their fertilizer. What Hydrogen Refinery does is to utilize Indonesia's waste to produce fertilizer for Indonesia, in Indonesia, removing the link to global natural gas prices, currency risk and securing security of supply.
What we want to do is to break that link with natural gas. So instead of producing the fertilizer from natural gas, which varies in price, we produce it from waste, and in doing so, we can produce it at a low fixed price.
The Hydrogen Refinery Plasma Electrolyser System (PES) technology is developed from British military technology. It is covered by seven patents. What it does is transform 10 tonnes of mixed waste per day to 10 tonnes of high-quality urea fertilizer (46% N – Nitrogen), which is the most used fertilizer in Indonesia. To make 20 tonnes per day, we simply put two of the PES units together.
Why is Indonesia important?
Indonesia has a growing population, and more people eat more food, and they create more waste. In fact, Indonesia is the fifth largest fertilizer market in the world, demanding around 12 million tonnes of fertilizer a year. It's also the third largest rice producer, and it's also the fifth largest producer of waste and generator of plastic waste in the oceans.
Waste is also a sad by product, and the Bantar Gebang landfill outside Jakarta is one of the largest in Southeast Asia. It is over 18 stories high and can be seen from space. Each day, around 7,000 tonnes of new waste arrives, and that would be enough to create 2.5 million tonnes of urea fertilizer per year. That would be about half the imported fertilizer into Indonesia.
Most importantly, it would save around 4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (CO2e) every year.
The Bantar Gebang site is huge and too big to start with for a pilot site. So what we want to do is start at a smaller scale in Bali. Bali is an important location because of the tourism. It also has a terrible problem with mixed plastic waste, and that's something that we want to clean up.
How PES works with non-recyclable plastics such as plastic bags:
Most plastic bags are made of polythene. Polythene is a molecule with the chemical formula C2H4. In plasma system, the polythene molecule is broken down to its hydrogen and carbon species. The hydrogen is used to make ammonia for the fertilizer. The carbon and any other impurities in the waste emerge as a carbon soot that we can use for road building.
NetZero Global, Maharlika Carbon, and Hydrogen Refinery Forge Agreement to Transform Waste into Hydrogen and Transition Fuels in the Philippines
Manila, Philippines, and London, UK 4th of July, 2024 – NetZero Global, Maharlika Carbon, and Hydrogen Refinery are proud to announce an exclusive partnership aimed at addressing the critical issues of waste management, energy security, and decarbonisation in the Philippines.
This groundbreaking agreement, using British military technology will see the collaboration of these three industry leaders to convert waste into hydrogen and other transition fuels, setting a new standard for regenerative energy, waste reduction and Nationally Determined Contributions under The Paris Agreement.
Transforming Waste into Clean Energy
The innovative partnership will leverage advanced waste-to-hydrogen technologies to convert municipal, agricultural, and industrial waste into clean hydrogen fuel and other low-carbon transition fuels. This process not only provides a regenerative solution to the world’s growing waste problem but also contributes significantly to the decarbonization of the Philippines, increasing the country’s energy security and meeting of its Paris Agreement obligations.
According to the World Bank, the management of waste contributes 4% of global climate emissions. Despite efforts towards recycling, recycling rates remain low, with only 9% of plastics recycled worldwide.
Global waste will grow from 2.59 billion tonnes (b/t) in 2023 to 3.40 b/t by 2050. Currently waste processing involves either landfill or incineration, both create high levels of emissions. Typically, waste incinerators or energy-from-waste (EfW) plants produce 1 tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) for every 1 tonne of waste that they process.
Swapping to the Hydrogen Refinery process would save that 1 tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent for each tonne of waste that is processed.
Wastes also contain valuable material, in the case of plastics there are large amounts of hydrogen and carbon. Given the emerging hydrogen economy waste plastics offer a source of green hydrogen.
The Hydrogen Refinery technology will remove wastes from the environment without any of the associated emissions while also harvesting the hydrogen.
AstraZeneca has selected Hydrogen Refinery as one of their top 10 candidates for their Combient Foundry business in-depth evaluation
Hydrogen Refinery to present at the Innovate UK KTN Hydrogen Innovation Showcase on 2 July 2024 at Pendulum Hotel and Conference Centre, Sackville Street, Manchester, M1 3BB, UK
Hydrogen Refinery was the only company to win two awards at the Innovation Zero event in London - 30th April 2024 for:
UPGRADING WASTE AND BIOGAS TO HYDROGEN AMMONIA AND SYNTHETIC FUELS
The two Promising Solutions Category Awards were for:
• Land & Water, WINNER of Promising solutions category
• Energy & Power, WINNER of Promising solutions category
Innovation Zero is the UK's largest sustainability conference, supported by Industry, UK Government and chaired by Rt Hon Sir Liam Fox MP. Hydrogen Refinery were voted winners by 45 industry experts.
Hydrogen Refinery selected as finalist in SVG Ventures Climate Challenge Virtual Pitch Day for the live pitch event in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on May 29, 2024
Hydrogen Refinery finalist in Pioneer and CPI Planetary Golden Ticket programme
March 27, 2024: Hydrogen Refinery finalist in Pioneer & CPI Hydrogen Innovation Initiative, golden ticket programme.
Innovations in hydrogen technology are critical. They present a path towards a green economy and a sustainable future.
The government's Hydrogen Strategy Update estimates an £11bn investment in hydrogen tech in the coming years.
This vast potential is why Pioneer and the CPI launched 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞 to help your hydrogen and green technologies business to develop, grow, and scale.
Hydrogen Refinery – named as winner of Hitachi Innovation Challenge
March 18, 2024: Hitachi Innovation Challenge for Digital Circular Economy was a fantastic final event in Paris, hosted by Agorize.
From almost 200 submissions of company ideas and solutions, Hitachi boiled it down to a final 10 and 3 winners chosen. One of these winners was Hydrogen Refinery.
March 2024. Rockstart AgriFood invests in Hydrogen Refinery.
Mark Durno, Managing Partner for Rockstart AgriFood:
“Farmers need alternative solutions to chemical fertilizer to be able to transition to regenerative agriculture and have a positive impact on nature and climate. What impressed us with Hydrogen Refinery is the prospect of using tried and tested technology to create green hydrogen and ammonia from hydrocarbon waste management (e.g. non-recyclable plastic) in one affordable process. This can be a game-changer for how farmers gain access to green hydrogen and fertilizer.”
Stephen Voller, CEO and Co-Founder for Hydrogen Refinery:
"We joined Rockstart as it has a focused Agritech fund supported by a global network of sector specialists working in all aspects of agriculture. We felt that the understanding of the sector, access to co-funders, and direct links to potential customers provided an ideal mix that we could tap into to scale the business.
About Hydrogen Refinery:
Hydrogen Refinery (H2R) is commercializing the world-leading Plasma Electrolysis System (PES), originally developed by the British military. The PES system efficiently breaks down hydrocarbon wastes like non-recyclable plastics or biogas using microwave-induced plasma to produce pure green hydrogen. This green hydrogen is used to produce green ammonia at the same price or less than ‘grey ammonia’ from natural gas. The green ammonia is then utilized in producing urea and AN. By avoiding emissions from waste burning or landfills, H2R's process is carbon-negative.
Hydrogen Refinery to speak at Synthetic Fuels from CO2 and H2 conference - the next Breakthrough in Clean Energy on 30th May 2024 Synthetic fuels conference
Wherever there are people on our planet, three economic actions always happen:
1. We grow food
2. We need fuel
3. We create waste
Hydrogen Refinery Ltd (H2R) was set-up to enable humankind to continue with this economic activity, as we implement the historic agreement at COP28 to phase out fossil fuels. We use the waste to replace the fossil fuels used to make fertilizer to grow food and for fuel. We do this with zero emissions and at a price that is the same or lower than the fossil fuel alternative.
H2R produces carbon negative and low-cost hydrogen or synthesis gas (syngas) from mixed waste. The technology used is the patented Plasma Electrolyser System (PES) that has been under development by the British military since 2003.
Waste such as non-recyclable plastics or municipal solid waste (MSW) is removed from the environment without the emissions associated with landfill or incineration providing a step-up in the waste hierarchy. This is possible because PES does not use a catalyst.
There are no gaseous emissions from PES, all the carbon and other impurities in the waste is captured in a carbon soot which is used as a replacement for coal ash for ‘green’ cement production, and for other carbon products. Effectively this is automatic carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS).
The low-cost hydrogen is used to make green ammonia for urea and ammonia nitrate fertilizers. The heat produced from PES provides the same efficiencies to the Haber-Bosch process as steam methane reforming (SMR) and is twice as efficient as hydrogen produced from water electrolysis.
The low-cost syngas is used to make methanol or drop-in fuels including synthetic marine diesel (SMD) and synthetic aviation fuel (SAF).
Near-Zero Steel 2030 challenge
December 2023: Hydrogen Refinery participates in Near-Zero Steel 2030 challenge, a partnership led by the World Economic Forum’s First Movers Coalition, BCG, Deloitte, ResponsibleSteel, RMI and Greenhouse.
Hydrogen Refinery to present about Marine Port Infrastructure
Hydrogen Refinery to present about Marine Port Infrastructure for sustainable fuels hydrogen, ammonia and methanol atCCS & Hydrogen Decarbonisation Summit, Leeds, UK on February 7, 2024
November 16, 2023: Hydrogen Refinery presented at the Brown Rudnick Cleantech pitch event in London.
Brown Rudnick are a shareholder in Hydrogen Refinery Ltd and one of the largest Cleantech law firms in London.
Innovate UK Showcase for Climate Tech Investing
November 15, 2023: Hydrogen Refinery presented at the Innovate UK Showcase for Climate Tech Investing Hydrogen event at the Daresbury Laboratory, Science and Technology Facilities Council, The Hartree Centre, Warrington, UK
Hydrogen Refinery selected by Innovate UK EDGE for their high growth ‘Future Unicorn’ program
Hydrogen Refinery are part of a successful consortium that has won a €1m EU grant called HyWay
HyWay is a consortium of universities and companies around the world who will collaborate on strategies to synthesise hydrogen and eliminate the environmental issues from conventional waste management e.g. landfill or incineration. The project is led by the University of Luxembourg and includes partners from Australia, China, Italy, Japan, Malaysia and UK. HyWay aims to synthesis hydrogen rich syngas from low cost carbon source, and eliminate the environmental issues from conventional waste management (e.g., landfill or incineration). HyWay advances the state-of-the-art in carbonaceous waste management especially plastic waste, waste tires, waste biomass and crude glycerol for hydrogen production. The overall aim of the HyWay is to establish long-term consolidated research collaborations between the participating institutions with complementary expertise and knowledge to design and develop carbon-neutral, scalable, and socially acceptable pathways to sort and convert waste to hydrogen-rich syngas as part of next generation sustainable fuels. Through secondments, workshops, training, webinar series, and industry-focused events, HyWay produces multiple avenues for career development, cross-sectoral experiences, and academic training in a multi-cultural and interdisciplinary environment. Research results are translated into training materials, including formal academic and industry courses on waste sorting, chemical recycling technologies, process modelling, machine learning, techno-economic analysis and life cycle analysis for postgraduate students, early-stage and experienced researchers and industry; training tutorials for industrial and technical staffs; and creating the basis for developing academic textbooks for the wider research community and possibly in undergraduate module delivery. There is also a focus on transferable skills, with dedicated trainings activities specially designed to facilitate personal development, technological and communication skills. HyWay delivers through the effective collaboration of 7 member state/associate country universities and companies, and eight third country universities and companies from China, Japan, Australia and Malaysia.