Method for making low carbon intensity hydrogen

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11807530-B2
Application number	US-202318162950-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2023
Priority date	Apr 11, 2022
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method for reducing the carbon intensity of hydrogen by replacing, at a hydrogen production facility, a fraction of a non-renewable gaseous feedstock with a biomethane feedstock, wherein the non-renewable gaseous feedstock replaced is (a) a feedstock fed to methane reforming and/or (b) a feedstock used to generate heat for the reforming in the hydrogen production, and wherein the fraction of the non-renewable gaseous feedstock replaced by the biomethane feedstock is less than 50% and is at least r defined by Equation A herein. The disclosed process for reducing the carbon intensity of hydrogen is designed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigate climate change. The biomethane feedstock in some examples has a carbon intensity (CI) value within a range that is between 15 g CO 2 -eq/MJ and −500 g CO 2 eq/MJ.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process of producing hydrogen that meets a target carbon intensity (CI T ), the process comprising:
at a facility that produces hydrogen by reforming non-renewable gaseous feedstock, replacing a fraction of the non-renewable gaseous feedstock with biomethane feedstock and obtaining hydrogen that meets the CI T ,
wherein the non-renewable gaseous feedstock that is replaced comprises feedstock used to generate heat for the reforming,
wherein the CI T reflects a lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction that is at least 70% relative to when the hydrogen is produced using only the non-renewable gaseous feedstock,
wherein the biomethane feedstock has a carbon intensity (CI) value within a range that is between 15 g CO 2 eq/MJ and −500 g CO 2 eq/MJ, said CI value obtained at least in part by one or any combination of:
(a) capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide generated from an anaerobic digestion or gasification that formed the biomethane feedstock;
(b) capturing and sequestering carbon from residue of the anaerobic digestion or gasification that formed the biomethane feedstock;
(c) using a renewable energy source to at least partially power a production process for producing the biomethane feedstock; and
(d) processing waste and avoiding emissions of methane to atmosphere that would otherwise have been released without production and collection of the biomethane feedstock, and

wherein the fraction of the non-renewable gaseous feedstock that is replaced by the biomethane feedstock is (i) less than 50% and (ii) at least r, where r is determined by the following Equation A:

r
=

(

CI
i

-

CI
T

-
k
-

C
r

)

(

CI

N
⁢
R
⁢
G
⁢
F

-

CI
B

)

·
y

[

Equation
⁢

A

]

wherein the CI values CI i , CI T , CI NRGF , and CI B of Equation A are expressed in g CO 2 eq/MJ,
CI i =a carbon intensity of the hydrogen when it is assumed that the hydrogen is produced using only non-renewable gaseous feedstock and without accounting for any reductions in CI due to carbon capture and sequestration and without accounting for any reductions in CI due to the use of renewable power,
CI T =the target carbon intensity of the hydrogen to be produced in the facility,
k=net amount of carbon dioxide captured and sequestered per unit of hydrogen produced in g CO 2 eq/MJ associated with hydrogen production, and wherein k is zero when no carbon dioxide is captured and sequestered,
C r =carbon dioxide emissions reduction per unit of hydrogen produced in g CO 2 eq/MJ attributable to using renewable power in or associated with hydrogen production,
CI NRGF =the carbon intensity of the non-renewable gaseous feedstock (NRGF) fed to the facility,
CI B =carbon intensity of biomethane feedstock fed to the facility, and
y=a ratio of energy of the hydrogen produced in MJ to the sum of energy of the non-renewable gaseous feedstock in MJ and energy of the biomethane feedstock in MJ.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein at least some carbon dioxide produced at the facility is provided for sequestration.

3. The process of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining one or more credits for said hydrogen that meets the CI T , for producing said hydrogen that meets the CI T , or a combination thereof.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the CI T reflects a lifecycle GHG reduction that is at least 75% relative to when the hydrogen is produced using only the non-renewable gaseous feedstock.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the CI T reflects a lifecycle GHG reduction that is at least 80% relative to when the hydrogen is produced using only the non-renewable gaseous feedstock.

6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the fraction of non-renewable gaseous feedstock replaced by the biomethane feedstock is less than 40%.

7. The process of claim 5 , wherein the fraction of non-renewable gaseous feedstock replaced by the biomethane feedstock is less than 25%.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the CI value of the biomethane feedstock is a negative value.

9. The process of claim 8 , wherein the negative value of the CI of the biomethane feedstock is due at least in part to at least two of:
a) capturing and sequestering of carbon dioxide generated from an anaerobic digestion or gasification that formed the biomethane feedstock;
b) capturing and sequestering carbon from residue of the anaerobic digestion or gasification that formed the biomethane feedstock;
c) using the renewable energy source to power a production process for producing or upgrading the biomethane feedstock; and
d) processing waste and avoiding emissions of methane to atmosphere that would otherwise have been released without production and collection of the biomethane feedstock.

10. The process of claim 8 , wherein the negative value of the CI of the biomethane feedstock is due at least in part to at least three of:
a) capturing and sequestering of carbon dioxide generated from an anaerobic digestion or gasification that formed the biomethane feedstock;
b) capturing and sequestering carbon from residue of the anaerobic digestion or gasification that formed the biomethane feedstock;
c) using the renewable energy source to power a production process for producing or upgrading the biomethane feedstock; and
d) processing waste and avoiding emissions of methane to atmosphere that would otherwise have been released without production and collection of the biomethane feedstock.

11. The process of claim 8 , wherein the CI value of the biomethane feedstock is between −25 g CO 2 eq/MJ and −300 g CO 2 eq/MJ.

12. The process of claim 8 , wherein the CI value of

Assignees

• Iogen Corp

Inventors

• Foody Brian

Classifications

• C02F11/04

  Anaerobic treatment; Production of methane by such processes · CPC title

• C01B3/26 Primary

  using catalysts · CPC title

• C01B2203/0233

  the reforming step being a steam reforming step · CPC title

• C01B2203/0475

  the impurity being carbon dioxide · CPC title

• C01B2203/1241

  Natural gas or methane · CPC title