Hydrogen production with carbon capture: emerging techniques

You can produce hydrogen from methane or refinery fuel gas and capture the carbon dioxide (CO2) which is also produced in this process.

transported by pipeline or other means and stored in permanent underground geological storage facilities

used as a product (not covered in this guidance)

These environmental regulators (referred to as ‘the regulators’) worked with industry stakeholders to develop a ‘review of emerging techniques’ on which this guidance is based:

Except where existing regulations apply, this guidance on emerging techniques is not a regulatory requirement but identifies best practice to address important environmental issues.

The regulators expect operators to follow this guidance, or to propose an alternative approach to provide the same (or greater) level of protection for the environment.

operators when designing their plants and preparing their application for an environmental permit

regulatory staff when determining environmental permit applications

any other organisation or members of the public who want to understand how the environmental regulations and standards are being applied

This guidance covers large-scale industrial plants:

producing hydrogen using methane (for example, from natural gas) or refinery fuel gas

capturing the CO2 produced within the process, carbon capture (CC), or using post-combustion carbon capture (PCC) to make it ready for permanent geological storage – this is known as carbon capture and storage or sequestration (CCS)

The guidance covers both new plants and retrofits to existing plants.

It does not cover downstream permanent geological storage or using the captured CO2.

Large-scale means typically greater than 100 tonnes a day of hydrogen which is around 140MW of hydrogen energy at its lower heating value.

Smaller plant should use this guidance until further guidance is available.