Breakthrough in Green Hydrogen Purification from Natural Gas Grids

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at Instituto Politecnico de Braganca have achieved a significant milestone in the purification of green hydrogen from natural gas grids. According to the study published in Separation and Purification Technology, a dual-stage Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption (DS-VPSA) process has been developed to achieve a final H-2 product with a purity of 99.97% (fuel cell grade), a recovery of 67%, and productivity of 1.60x10(-2) kg(H2)/kg(ads)/hr, and a total specific energy consumption of 10.06 MJ/kg(H2).

Key Takeaways:

  • A mathematical model was developed in Aspen adsorption to optimize the operating conditions of the DS-VPSA process.
  • Numerical simulations were performed to establish the best operating conditions for the process.
  • A parametric study was conducted to optimize performance parameters such as recovery, purity, productivity, and specific energy.
  • The research found that the DS-VPSA process can achieve a significant increase in purity and recovery of green hydrogen compared to a single-step Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) process.
  • The study highlights the importance of optimizing the operating conditions of the process to achieve high purity and recovery of green hydrogen.
  • The researchers suggest that the DS-VPSA process can be a promising solution for the large-scale production of green hydrogen from natural gas grids.

Statistics:

  • Purity of the final H-2 product: 99.97% (fuel cell grade)
  • Recovery of green hydrogen: 67%
  • Productivity of the DS-VPSA process: 1.60x10(-2) kg(H2)/kg(ads)/hr
  • Total specific energy consumption: 10.06 MJ/kg(H2)
  • Number of stages in the DS-VPSA process: 2

Sources:

  • Separation and Purification Technology, Volume 360, 2025
  • Instituto Politecnico de Braganca, Portugal
  • Elsevier, Radarweg 29, 1043 NX Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Instituto Politecnico de Braganca, Cimo, La SusTEC, Campus Santa Apolonia, P-5300253 Braganca, Portugal
  • NewsRx. Data from Instituto Politecnico de Braganca Provide New Insights into Energy (Dual-stage Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption for Green Hydrogen Recovery From Natural Gas Grids). Energy Weekly News. July 18, 2025; p 51.