Carbon negative e-fuels and e-fertilizer from waste

News

July 6, 2026

Stephen Voller to present at the Maritime Group South West SMI Hydrogen Fuels Group, on 6th July, 10.30 – 13.30 in London. 


Hydrogen Refinery has completed the Marine Future Fuels from Waste (MFFFW) a feasibility study funded by the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMCD6) in conjunction with the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) located in Orkney, Scotland. MFFFW investigated how municipal waste or mixed solid waste (MSW) can be used to produce a range of low-carbon and zero emission marine fuels including hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, e-LNG (liquified natural gas or methane). Hydrogen Refinery is also investigating the production of synthetic marine diesel (SMD) or synthetic marine fuels (SMF) from waste.


Maritime UK South West was set up in 2016 in recognition of stakeholder feedback in the South West Maritime sector, reporting a need for strategic leadership, network creation and greater take up of skills and innovation support.


Maritime UK South West is mission led – to create sustainable economic growth for its members and for the region. We focus on the geography of the South West; covering Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset and the West of England area.


https://maritimeuksw.org/product/smi-hydrogen-fuels-group-6th-july-2026/


June 2026:

Breaking the link between fossil fuels and fertilizer pricing

Since the outbreak of the war involving Iran on February 27, 2026, prices for both Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and Urea fertilizer experienced drastic geopolitical spikes followed by a sharp downward correction due to news of a preliminary peace deal.


At Hydrogen Refinery we are committed to breaking this link between fossil fuel prices and the price of fertilizer or synthetic fuels like SAF. We do this by transforming local waste into local commodities. Nothing has to pass through the Strait of Hormuz or is subject to the fluctuating price of natural gas or oil.


January 2026 update:


There are 3 steps to the plasma electrolysis system (PES) Waste-to-Value process.

  1. Waste processing
  2. Plasma electrolysis and carbon aggregate production
  3. Commodity creation

Waste processing
The waste processing step is a tried and trusted process that has been implemented many times around the world. Mixed waste is separate into immediate recyclables such as metals, and organic waste such as food waste may be separated for anaerobic digestion (AD) for example. The resultant mixed waste that may involve mixed plastics, packaging, cardboard is either crushed into pellets or made into a pyrolysis oil.

Plasma electrolysis and carbon aggregate production

The residual waste is then injected into the plasma. The plasma will break down any of the molecules in the waste producing either a pure hydrogen stream or a syngas. The syngas or synthesis gas is a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. All other materials in the waste emerge in a carbon soot. This is a low-grade material that is in high demand by the cement industry to make green aggregates for road building.


Commodity creation
The final stage of the process is to use tried and trusted processes that have been used in urea fertilizer and synthetic fuel production.

  • Urea

For urea production, PES produces hydrogen. The hydrogen is combined with nitrogen from the air to make ammonia in the well established Haber-Bosch (H-B) process. The ammonia is then combined with carbon dioxide (also produced by PES) to make urea pill. The urea produced is the highest quality ISO compliant 46% N urea used by farmers worldwide.

  • Synthetic fuels

For synthetic fuel production such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), e-LNG, synthetic marine diesel (SMD) or e-diesel, PES first produces syngas. The syngas is converted to a syncrude liquid in the Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) which is well established. In the case of SAF, the sync rude is then upgraded to an ASTM compliant SAF and blended with regular Jet-A/A1 for immediate use.
Value is created at every stage.


In many countries we are paid to process the waste. The carbon aggregates have value. The urea or synthetic fuels are sold for market price.
But most importantly the entire process is carbon negative because we save the emissions from the waste being incinerated or dumped in landfill. This means there are significant carbon credits.

October 30, 2025
Stephen Voller to present at the "The Future of Aviation: How Sustainable Fuel Can Change the Industry " will be organized by Sowa Solutions on 30th of October 2025, at 10am EST / 15h CET.
The conference will show most recent market trends and projects regarding synthetic aviation fuel (SAF). The purpose of this event is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of SAF, including the latest technological breakthroughs, market dynamics, and regulatory developments.


October 23, 2025

Stephen Voller to present on the SAF Café webinar series run by Innovate UK about  “SAF from waste at the same price as fossil jet fuel”.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustainable-aviation-fuel-innovation-programme-safip/posts/?feedView=all


July, 2025

Hydrogen Refinery has been awarded a grant under the UK Government Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition round 6 (CMDC6) to conduct a feasibility study to examine marine future fuels from waste.

This is the 3rd part of our strategy to build projects in marine, aviation with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and for fertilizers.

The grant is in collaboration with the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) located in Orkney Islands, Scotland.

There is uncertainty regarding what fuels will replace traditional fossil derived versions for maritime environments. Using a plasma electrolyser system (PES), Hydrogen Refinery (H2R) technology will be utilised to produce multiple 'future fuels' to allow for choice, which other solutions do not. Their concept utilises cheap, readily available unrefined waste products as feedstock to directly produce hydrogen or synthesis gas (syngas) without emissions whilst capturing the carbon in a solid form; a carbon capture and storage (CCS) solution.

The UK Government's Marine Decarbonisation Strategy recognises four potential 'future fuels' stating "that maritime decarbonisation is complex and there is no "one size fits all" solution to cover the breadth of vessel types, sizes and operations" but this proposal investigates providing a 'waste-to-wake' facility that can deliver whichever 'future fuel' the customer chooses from the same small-scale, modular but scalable plant, to be used locally. The H2R concept has many benefits as it can take waste from a variety of sources to convert to the 'future fuel' of choice, enabling the production of the right fuel types on-demand, locally, for the right vessels from waste generated locally.

The project will study the feasibility of taking different waste types, such as mixed municipal solid waste (MSW), collected on the Orkney Islands from households and businesses, to convert to valuable, non-fossil derived maritime fuels for local customers. H2R will work with the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) and Orkney Islands Council (OIC) to identify which waste streams can be utilised to make either hydrogen, ammonia, methanol or a biofuel.

H2R will utilise information from other grant funded projects to assess what waste streams are most efficient and will work with EMEC and OIC to understand the availability of surplus renewable energy available on the Orkney Islands.

OIC will collect data on the types of waste that are currently shipped to the Shetland Heat, Energy and Power (SHEAP) facility or that could be more efficiently utilised in this project and used on Orkney.

EMEC will utilise their experience with assessing new and innovative technologies to identify the most effective placement, design and integration with other assets in the Orkney Islands as well as focus on delivering a cost-benefit analysis of the project. Pre-consenting exercises will be carried out, to understand what complications could be involved in the setting up of the small-scale, zero emission facility and day to day management of the development.


June 20, 2025

Interview with Stephen Voller, CEO of Hydrogen Refinery.  https://youtu.be/II44LoYstlA
In the evolving world of low-emission fuels, few companies are addressing two major problems simultaneously: waste management and decarbonization. Hydrogen Refinery is doing just that with its patented Plasma Electrolyser System (PES). During a recent interview, Stephen Voller, CEO of Hydrogen Refinery, shared with us how their technology converts mixed municipal and plastic waste into hydrogen and e-fuels, including Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and synthetic marine diesel (SMD).
🎥 Watch our full interview with Stephen Voller, CEO of Hydrogen Refinery, where he discusses the company’s patented technology, cost model, and global SAF expansion strategy.
https://netzerocompare.com/articles/turning-waste-into-fuel-how-hydrogen-refinery-is-reshaping-sustainable-aviation-fuel


Modular Design for Global Scalability
Originally developed for military use, the PES has now matured into a commercially viable solution. The system’s modular architecture means that larger production facilities are created by scaling up small units. This design flexibility allows for regional deployment, especially important for reducing transport emissions, and accelerates time-to-market.
According to Voller, one of the key remaining hurdles is scaling this modular system efficiently to meet surging SAF demand. With more than 8,000 tier 2 and tier 3 airports around the world, the strategy is to deploy plants near local waste sources and fuel demand hubs.


The Cost Advantage: Getting Paid to Take Feedstock
Unlike traditional Power-to-Liquid (PtL) routes that rely on expensive green hydrogen and direct-air-capture CO2, Hydrogen Refinery enjoys a unique cost structure. The company is paid to accept waste, effectively making their feedstock zero-cost. This flips the economic model: revenue comes both from tipping fees and fuel sales.
For SAF specifically, which is currently priced 2 to 3 times higher than fossil-based aviation fuel, this creates a strong profit margin. Voller notes that selling to high-demand buyers like Farnborough Airport supports their revenue model and showcases the fuel’s performance.


Verified Carbon-Negative Claims
Voller was candid about the carbon accounting behind their process. For each tonne of waste processed, they prevent an estimated 28 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions, primarily by avoiding methane release from landfills. This life-cycle carbon negativity is a major selling point for regulators and investors.
Their process also doesn't rely on external CO2 capture. Instead, the waste itself contains enough carbon-based molecules, which are broken down using plasma into hydrogen and syngas for further synthesis into fuels.


No Need for Waste Pre-Treatment
A major innovation is the system’s ability to process unsorted, uncleaned waste without catalysts. The plasma electrolyser breaks molecular bonds directly, enabling conversion of highly variable feedstock. This eliminates pre-processing costs and makes contracts for feedstock procurement more straightforward.
"We don’t need sorting, drying, or cleaning," says Voller. "The technology just works on whatever you feed it."


Regulatory and Market Tailwinds
Hydrogen Refinery is moving quickly to align with fast-approaching regulations. ReFuelEU Aviation and UK SAF mandates, already in force, require a 2% SAF blend. Hydrogen Refinery targets airports affected by these mandates first. Their Farnborough project exemplifies this strategy: a business aviation hub subject to UK blending rules and highly motivated to show sustainability credentials.
Voller anticipates that demand will grow significantly as these targets ratchet up, giving his company a solid runway for expansion.


Competing Fuels: Why SAF Wins in the Near Term
While Hydrogen Refinery’s PES units could also produce e-methanol and green ammonia, Voller is clear-eyed about market realities. Aviation fuel infrastructure is deeply entrenched, and aircraft fleets are locked into using Jet A-1 equivalents for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, maritime shipping may see earlier adoption of hydrogen-derived fuels.


Carbon Capture Integration? Not Needed
Some companies pair waste-to-fuel systems with carbon capture from cement or steel plants. Hydrogen Refinery doesn’t need this. Their own process creates the necessary CO2 or carbon monoxide internally. At their Bali facility, for example, CO2 is harvested and used to produce urea fertilizer. This integrated model keeps operations streamlined.


Bankable Offtake Agreements: Learning from Farnborough
Their deal with Farnborough Airport for 12.5 million liters of SAF per year has provided essential lessons. For one, airport customers need fuel that meets existing safety and performance specs. Secondly, offtake contracts must be bankable, structured with clear terms and predictable delivery schedules. These insights are now being applied to negotiations with other regional airports.


Final Thoughts
Hydrogen Refinery’s model, with paid feedstock, modular design, and regulatory alignment, offers a rare combination of economic viability and carbon negativity. For businesses, regulators, and investors navigating the low-emissions fuel space, the company represents a tangible, scalable path forward.

June 19, 2025

Martin Bolton had the opportunity to brief the Director of the U.S. Army Applications Laboratory (AAL) on the Hydrogen Refinery capabilities to:

  • Convert waste to military fuels or explosives. Fuels include aircraft JP8, marine diesel or e-diesel for land vehicles. Thus removing the burden on reverse logistics completely.
  • Ability to refuel hydrogen uncrewed vehicles (UxS) land, sea or air from conventional military fuels 

Members of UK Army Futures Directorate, DASA, and the JHUB were also present. 


June 17-18, 2025

Hydrogen Refinery presenting at NATO DIANA’s International ‘Industry & Investor’ Demo Days 2025 taking place in London, UK.


June 17, 2025

Hydrogen Refinery presenting to the Port of Rotterdam invitation only event sponsored by PortXL. Presentation features Hydrogen Refinery capabilities to transform mixed waste into low-cost and carbon negative marine fuels including synthetic marine diesel (SMD), ammonia, hydrogen and methanol.


June 11-12, 2025

Tim Walder attending and presenting at NATO 2025 cohort event Energy& Power at GLOBSEC event in Prague, Czechia. The GLOBSEC Forum 2025 took place from 12 to 14 June in Prague. Under the auspices of the President of Czechia, Petr Pavel, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Czechia. Representatives from almost seven dozen countries from across the globe will convene in the Czech capital to address today’s most pressing geopolitical, security and geoeconomic challenges. The 20th anniversary edition of the Forum once again offers a unique platform for international dialogue – this year, with a focus on strengthening Europe’s role in building a more secure and prosperous future.


April 29-30, 2025

Hydrogen Refinery invited to Track #4 Multinational projects NATO symposium on Scaling Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) that took place on 29-30 April 2025 in Florence, Italy. 

Symposium discussed NATO policy towards SAF and other synthetic fuels. Attendees included Airbus, Boeing, Pratt & Whitney and representatives from the armed forces of Canada, Norway and UK.


April 28-30, 2025
Martin Bolton presented at the regional green fertiliser solution to OCP
OCP is one of the largest and most influential fertiliser companies in the world and has a $12 billion investment programme to expand capacity. Hydrogen Refinery was invited to present their regional fertilizer plants developments at their green fertilizer conference in Morocco.


April 24, 2025

Stephen Voller presented to HyDEX.
HyDEX is creating a new hydrogen economy in the industrial Midlands region of the UK.
Stephen Voller explained how Hydrogen Refinery uses the patented plasma electrolyser system (PES) to transform mixed waste into renewable fuels (e-fuels), nitrogen fertiliser (e-fertilizer) and circular raw materials. The company goal is to be the world’s lowest cost producer of carbon negative sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), synthetic marine diesel (SMD), ammonia nitrate and urea fertilizers.

April 15-17, 2025

Stephen Voller attended NATO Cohort event in Boston, USA
As part of the on-going commitments to NATO, our CEO Stephen Voller, attended the NATO symposium in Boston, USA on 15th to 17th April 2025. Presentations included the US Navy underwater development centre NAVSEA.


March 20, 2025

Farnborough Airport Signs Landmark 12.5 Million Litre
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Deal in a Pioneering Step to Help Kick-Start the UK Domestic Refining Sector


Farnborough Airport, the Birthplace of British Aviation and Europe’s leading airport for premium air travel connectivity, has today announced that it has signed a landmark deal with Hydrogen Refinery for 12.5 million litres or 10,000 tonnes per annum of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) produced locally from waste.


Farnborough Airport is already one of the largest single-site suppliers of SAF to the business aviation community, having sold over 2 million litres of 38% blended SAF since 2021. With the introduction of SAF mandates taking effect at the start of this year, domestic sales of SAF are increasingly being put at risk by the lack of production and investment within the UK.


The UK and the European Union have legislation-backed mandates on both the amount of SAF that must be used from January 2025 and also the way that SAF must be produced in the future. This is to ensure advanced fuels can be developed over time to support the required growth in SAF production without incentivising farmers to switch from growing food to growing SAF feedstocks. SAF today is almost entirely produced from waste cooking oil or HEFA (Hydro processed Esters and Fatty Acids), however Hydrogen Refinery’s ground-breaking technology is able to produce carbon negative SAF from a variety of mixed waste products, sourced locally or from landfill sites.


Simon Geere, CEO at Farnborough Airport, commented: “We are delighted to be forging this ground-breaking alliance with e-fuels developer Hydrogen Refinery. Their patented technology has the potential to provide Farnborough Airport with enough proprietary supplies of SAF for us to become the first and only airport in the world to be offering fuel with a 20% blend across its entire supply by 2028, well ahead of the UK Government’s own target of 10% by 2030. What’s more, this is entirely consistent with our ambitions to be an incubator for the advancement of sustainable technologies, as well as being a vital commercial enabler for kick-starting the domestic refining of SAF, at scale and right here within the UK.


He went on to comment “The transition to new fuelling technologies like this requires markets like ours which are able to sustain the higher upfront investment costs necessary to make things happen. Farnborough Airport is in a unique position to advance this technology given the smaller-modern aircraft which we handle and the significant economic value of the flights we support. As a local company, Hydrogen Refinery exemplify the deep-rooted technological capabilities of the companies which form part of Farnborough Airport’s aeronautical research heritage, and this is a fantastic example of a partnership which will generate significant local inward investment and will reinforce our ambitions to become a Global Sustainability Showcase for Airports around the world.”


This news follows a series of successful milestones in recent years at the Airport. In 2024, Farnborough Airport was awarded Level 4+carbon accreditation status by the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) scheme, one of only five UK airports and the only business aviation airport to achieve such recognition. Also last year, Farnborough Airport completed one of the largest light-weight solar installations in the South East, enabling the Airport to generate 25% of its own power. In 2022, for a two-week trial period in the lead up to the Farnborough International Airshow, Farnborough Airport became the first airport in the world to offer SAF at the same price as standard Jet A1 fuel, after it took a major step in driving the adoption of SAF by offering it to all customers the year prior. Also in 2022, Farnborough Airport made a commitment to be Net Zero by 2030 or sooner for emissions within its control, setting one of the most ambitious targets in the aviation industry.


Stephen Voller, CEO at Hydrogen Refinery, commented: “We live in a throwaway society, and waste such as mixed plastics and municipal solid waste (MSW) continues to rise despite efforts towards recycling. Hydrogen Refinery has a unique process called the plasma electrolyser system (PES) that can process mixed waste, including airline passenger food waste, into SAF. This is not only a low-cost process but is also carbon negative because the waste is processed without the emissions from incineration or landfill. We are excited to be working with Farnborough Airport to make their vision of sustainability a reality”.


For further media information, contact the Farnborough Airport Communications team via enquiries@farnboroughairport.com

Notes to Editors

About Farnborough Airport
Farnborough Airport is Europe’s leading business aviation airport, the Birthplace of British aviation and first business aviation airport to achieve carbon neutrality. According to a study by CBI Economics, approximately 80% of the flying activity from Farnborough Airport relates to either directly or indirectly to supporting UK business and inward investment, contributing £1.9 billion of Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK economy every year.


The most modern airport of its kind and the largest business aviation airport in the UK, Farnborough Airport offers five-star service, exclusivity, and privacy within easy reach of London, making it the premium choice for those looking to travel safely, flexibly, and efficiently. With health and wellbeing more important than ever, business aviation is fast becoming a preferred option for those wishing to travel with complete assurance. From the moment passengers arrive at Farnborough, they can expect exceptional service at every point in their journey through the airport, including a dedicated concierge service on hand for every need. The award-winning terminal offers multiple lounges, private meeting rooms and refreshments. Passengers can also travel with their dogs or cats as Farnborough offers a Pet Travel Scheme with an on-site vet to allow beloved companions to travel safely around the world.


About Hydrogen Refinery
Hydrogen Refinery is bringing to market the world leading and patent protected Plasma Electrolysis System (PES) that has been under development by the British military since 2003.

The PES system efficiently breaks down hydrocarbons using a microwave induced plasma to produce pure hydrogen and a carbon soot. The pathway to hydrogen production and hydrogen derivatives is 'green' hydrogen but also defined as “gas splitting producing solid carbon” or 'clear' carbon negative hydrogen. The carbon soot is a valuable resource to make green cement.

PES can also produce synthesis gas (syngas). Syngas is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide and is ideal for producing synthetic fuels such as e-diesel, synthetic marine diesel (SMD) and synthetic aviation fuel (SAF).

Most notably, the PES operates without a catalyst so is tolerant to a variety of feedstocks that may contain impurities. All of the impurities together with any excess carbon exit the system in a solid carbon soot. There are no gaseous carbon emissions from the process. Effectively this is Bioenergy with Carbon Capture & Storage (BECCS) and Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS).

PES is designed as a modular system that produces 1 tonne of pure hydrogen per day. Each PES unit is skid or pallet mounted. To make 10 tonnes of hydrogen per day, 10 PES units are operated together. 

February 24-26, 2025

Tim Walder invited to attend Horizon Europe Brokerage visit Berlin, Germany
Our CFO, Tim Walder, has been invited to attend the Hydrogen and Batteries Technology Horizon Europe Brokerage Visit, taking place 24-26th February 2025 in Berlin, Germany.   Delivered by Innovate UK, this visit will provide valuable networking opportunities and bid-writing workshops for UK and Germany businesses, RTOs, and academics.


February 17, 2025

OPEN LETTER: FIVE KEY POLICY NEEDS TO UNLOCK THE SCALE-UP OF E-SAF IN THE EU
To:
European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen;
Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for a Clean, Just & Competitive Transition, Teresa Ribera; Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Prosperity and Industrial Policy, Stéphane Séjourné; Commissioner for Climate, Net-Zero and Clean Growth, Wopke Hoekstra; Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen; and Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas
Cc:
Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall; Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration, Piotr Serafin; and Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva

Re: Five key policy needs to unlock the scale-up of e-SAF in the EU

Dear Madam President Von der Leyen, Executive Vice-President Ribera, Executive Vice-President Séjourné, Commissioner Hoekstra, Commissioner Jørgensen, Commissioner Tzitzikostas,
We, the 75 undersigned industry members, financial institutions, associations and NGOs from across the European e-SAF ecosystem are writing to propose five key policy interventions to unlock Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) for the first e-SAF (sustainable aviation fuel produced from clean electricity) projects in the EU.
E-SAF could increase the EU’s energy resilience, unlock a EUR 350+ billion global market opportunity and save 400 million tonnes of CO2e annually worldwide by 20502Five critical policy interventions to make e-SAF a commercial reality this decade.

February 4-6, 2025

Martin Bolton attended NATO Defence & Security Days in Krakow, Poland
Our COO, Martin Bolton, as part of our project with NATO DIANA Marin Bolton attended the Defence & Security Days, in Krakow, Poland on the 4-6th February 2025 where there was opportunity to discuss our military waste-to-fuels project. The idea is to process the waste from forward operating positions into fuels that can be used when needed, removing the burden on reverse logistics. The fuels include SAF, synthetic marine diesel (SMD) and e-diesel.

January 27, 2025

Hydrogen Refinery to present at The Future of UK SHORE: Shaping the Future of Maritime event on the 27 January 2025 in London.

Carbon negative marine e-fuels for the same price as regular marine diesel. Includes synthetic marine diesel (SMD), methanol, ammonia and hydrogen.


January 15, 2025

Hydrogen Refinery to present at "A Stakeholders Workshop on Hydrogen Supply Chain: UK’s Capabilities, Readiness, and Strategic Challenges", at WMG, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.


December 11, 2024

It was a fantastic way to end the year with another award. Our 5th major award of the year, and this one is extra special.
In many ways it returns us to our roots as it is from NATO DIANA. North Atlantic Treaty Organisation – Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic.

This project is to develop our plasma electrolyser system (PES) technology to process military waste into fuel. PES will be used with gaseous, liquid and solid waste to produce a range of military fuels that can be used without modification to engines or refuelling infrastructure. This includes sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), synthetic marine diesel (SMD) and e-diesel for road transport. The idea is to process the waste from forward operating positions into fuels that can be used when needed, removing the burden on reverse logistics. 


Hydrogen Refinery selected to present at TechTour European Hydrogen Transport Dialogue 2024, Nuremberg, Germany 4-5 December 2024


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.

Hydrogen Refinery and Alterna Verde Join Forces to Launch Waste-to-Fertilizer Project in Bali, Indonesia (September 2024)


Hydrogen Refinery 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.
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.


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 – 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.