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Visualisation of an anaerobic digestion plant seen from above: a domed gas holder over one digester, a second covered tank, a flare stack and an adjoining process building

Hydrogen from organic waste, made on site

Modular reforming turns biomethane into high purity hydrogen where it is used, removing the deliveries, the road miles and the carbon that come with trucked in supply.

Typically 10 – 1,000 Nm³/h
Modular capacity range
Up to > 99.999%
Hydrogen purity (> 5.0 grade)

What it is

A Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) process combined with high efficiency Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption ((V)PSA). Together they convert gaseous hydrocarbons into high purity hydrogen. The feedstock is clean biomethane from anaerobic digestion, so the system runs inside a circular energy loop.

Biogas reforming process flowBiomethane enters and passes through desulphurisation, steam reforming over a precious metal catalyst, a water gas shift stage and multi vessel adsorption purification. Hydrogen and a biogenic carbon dioxide stream leave the process, while waste heat and off gases are recycled back to fire the reformer burner.BiomethaneinDesulphurisationSteamreformingWater gasshift(V)PSApurificationHydrogenBiogenic CO₂Waste heat and off gases recycled to the reformer burner
Scroll sideways to see the full process.
  1. 01

    Desulphurisation

    A dedicated stage strips impurities from the feedstock.

  2. 02

    Reforming

    The feedstock reacts with steam over a precious metal catalyst.

  3. 03

    Water-Gas Shift

    Residual carbon monoxide is converted.

  4. 04

    Purification

    A multi vessel (V)PSA system purifies the stream.

Waste heat and off gases are fully recycled internally to power the reformer burner. Thermal efficiency stays high and no external fossil fuel is needed.

Cutaway render of a HyGear Hy.GEN container with one side removed, showing the process equipment inside: horizontal and vertical pressure vessels, banks of columns, pumps and a control cabinet, with exhaust stacks on the roofOpen the render full size
A Hy.GEN container with one side removed. The vessels, column banks, pumps and control cabinet inside carry out the stages shown above. Manufacturer’s render of their own equipment, not an Aurion+ installation.

Who it is for

For industrial users, utilities and commercial operators who need an uninterrupted supply of high purity hydrogen on site. It removes the delivery risk and the carbon cost of bulk tube trailer supply.

  • Flat glass and metal industries

    Requiring continuous reducing atmospheres.

  • Chemical and food hydrogenation plants

    Needing steady chemical feedstock.

  • Semiconductor and electronics manufacturers

    Demanding ultra high purity gas streams.

  • Hydrogen refuelling stations (HRS)

    Requiring reliable, localised fuel production capacity.

Feedstocks, outputs and scale

What goes in, what comes out, and how far the system scales.

Hydrogen purity
Up to > 99.999%
> 5.0 grade, fully qualified for high end industrial and mobility applications.
Modular capacity range
10 – 1,000 Nm³/h
Typically, for small to medium scale on site generation using parallel containerised units.

Feedstocks

Primary hydrocarbon input
Biomethane
Upgraded biogas from anaerobic digestion or landfill gas, which allows carbon neutral operation. Conventional natural gas can run alongside it during transition phases.
Auxiliary inputs
Process water and electricity
Demineralised or purified process water for steam generation, and electricity solely for system controls, instrumentation and balance of plant auxiliaries.

Outputs

Hydrogen purity
Up to > 99.999% (> 5.0 grade)
Fully qualified for high end industrial and mobility applications.
By-products and co-products
Biogenic carbon dioxide
A concentrated stream when using biogas or biomethane feedstocks. It can be captured downstream, then used or permanently sequestered, giving a carbon negative profile.

Scale

Modular capacity range
Typically 10 Nm³/h up to 1,000 Nm³/h
Small to medium scale on site generation, using parallel containerised units.
Turnkey footprint
Skid mounted or containerised
A compact layout for rapid site installation, with a minimal civil engineering footprint.

The Hy.GEN® series, built by HyGear

Aurion+ deploys, integrates and operates the Hy.GEN line. It is modular, containerised hydrogen generation for use on site, built around steam methane reforming.

A white containerised HyGear Hy.GEN hydrogen generation system installed outdoors under a clear blue sky, with an exhaust stack and connected pipework alongside
A Hy.GEN unit installed on site

  • Capacity range of 10 Nm³/h to 1,000 Nm³/h, using parallel containerised units.

  • The Hy.GEN 50, 100 and 150 frameworks.

  • Skid mounted or containerised architecture, for rapid installation with minimal civil engineering footprint.

  • Purity up to > 99.999% (> 5.0 grade), fuel cell grade.

The Hy.GEN Grand® is the large scale variant, using an electric reformer with carbon capture included as standard.

Technology partner

Aurion+ deploys, integrates and operates Hy.GEN systems as part of complete on site hydrogen supply.

Product imagery courtesy of HyGear, and shows the manufacturer’s equipment rather than an Aurion+ installation.

How it complements electrolysis

01

Baseload hybridisation

Reforming biogenic gas bridges the intermittency of renewable power. Where alkaline electrolysis depends directly on variable green electricity, biogas reforming runs continuously 24/7, providing steady baseload chemical conversion.

02

Capital and energy optimisation

Running both technologies together makes a hybrid microgrid possible. Biogas reforming provides the guaranteed baseline output, and electrolysis scales up when surplus low cost renewable power is available.

03

Unified infrastructure

Both systems share the same downstream gas conditioning, compression, buffer storage and safety control approach. That shortens operator training and simplifies balance of plant maintenance across a mixed asset energy hub.

The other route

Pressurised alkaline electrolysis is the production route this system runs alongside.

See hydrogen production

In a project

The Dry Anaerobic Digestion system at Project Cendana in Peninsular Malaysia is an application of this biogas pathway, turning regional palm waste into baseload power for the site.

See Project Cendana
Visualisation of a hydrogen production plant: a tall white process building marked Hydrogen Generation System, with stainless steel pipework, access walkways and cabinets on a concrete pad
Pressurised alkaline electrolysers, the primary production route.

The electrolysis route

Reforming runs alongside pressurised alkaline electrolysis, from a single module to a full array.

Explore hydrogen production