Metacon AB (publ) of Uppsala, Sweden, said its wholly owned Greek subsidiary, Metacon S.A. (Patras, Greece), has been awarded European Union project funding to develop and demonstrate hydrogen production from biomethane under the BIOH2VAP project.
The grant covers an effective amount of approximately €241,920. Metacon S.A.'s project budget totals €302,400, of which €241,920 is covered by public funding.
Pilot plant planned in Ierapetra
As part of the project, a pilot plant will be constructed at an existing industrial biogas plant in Ierapetra, Crete. Its scope covers biogas upgrading, biomethane production and demonstration of reforming-based hydrogen generation.
Operation and data collection under industrial conditions are intended to let the company evaluate and refine technical performance and operating efficiency and to prepare for commercial deployment. 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.
Circular hydrogen and commercialization
The project also creates a platform for assessing how hydrogen production can be integrated with existing biogas infrastructure and local residue streams, with the aim of improving resource efficiency and strengthening the business case for circular hydrogen production. For Metacon, the work adds to the commercialization roadmap for its proprietary reforming technology and supports the development of hydrogen solutions using renewable feedstocks.
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 the company's industrial testing base for its reforming technology and will support commercialization plans targeting future deployment at thousands of existing locations internationally where biogas infrastructure and local renewables are already available.