Metacon AB (publ) of Uppsala, Sweden, said its wholly owned Greek subsidiary, Metacon S.A. of Patras, has been awarded European Union project funding to develop and demonstrate hydrogen production from biomethane in the BIOH2VAP project. The award covers a pilot in an industrial biogas setting on Crete and adds to the company's commercial testing base for its reforming technology.
The effective amount covered by the grant is approximately €241,920. Metacon S.A.'s total project budget for the initiative is €302,400, of which the public funding accounts for €241,920.
Pilot plant at an existing biogas site
As part of the project, a pilot plant will be constructed at an existing industrial biogas plant in Ierapetra, Crete. The installation is intended to cover biogas upgrading, biomethane production and demonstration of reforming-based hydrogen generation. Operating the plant and collecting data under industrial conditions are expected to give Metacon an opportunity to evaluate and refine technical performance and operating efficiency, and to prepare for commercial deployment.
The company describes the demonstration as a sequence of linked steps rather than a single process:
- upgrading biogas at an existing industrial biogas plant;
- producing biomethane from locally available feedstock;
- generating hydrogen through Metacon's reforming technology;
- collecting operating data under industrial conditions to inform commercial deployment.
Validating reforming technology
The project will validate Metacon's reforming technology in an industrial biogas setting and assess the commercial potential of converting locally produced biomethane into renewable hydrogen. For Metacon, BIOH2VAP adds to the commercialization roadmap for its proprietary reforming technology and supports the development of hydrogen solutions that use renewable feedstocks.
The project also creates a platform for assessing how hydrogen production can be integrated with existing biogas infrastructure and local residue streams. According to the company, the aim is to improve resource efficiency and strengthen the business case for circular hydrogen production.
According to the company, the initiative is intended to deepen its understanding of how reforming technology behaves with biomethane as a feedstock and how such plants could be operated alongside existing biogas assets. The results are expected to feed into planning for commercial projects rather than to constitute a commercial plant in themselves.
Commercial outlook
Christer Wikner, President and CEO of Metacon, said the BIOH2VAP project gives the company a new industrial platform to demonstrate clean hydrogen production from biomethane and to optimize its commercial potential. He added that it expands Metacon's industrial testing base for its reforming technology and will support commercialization plans targeting future deployment at thousands of existing places internationally where biogas infrastructure and local renewables are already available.