Our Contributions
RICHARD has been involved with numerous Hydrogen projects and continues to develop and grow the Hydrogen business segment. Our extensive industrial experience in regards to compression, power distribution, modular electrical buildings, and modular process design makes this marketplace a perfect fit for our capabilities.
The Process
Hydrogen is a gas that has been produced historically in large volumes to supply the refining industry with a high purity hydrogen source for use in Hydro-Processing Units. The process technology utilizes Steam Methane Reformer Technology (SMR) which is the only economical process for the production of large volumes of Hydrogen. Natural gas is the primary feedstock for SMR process units. The hydrogen which is present in the natural gas stream is extracted, purified, compressed and sold to the refineries.
Historically the hydrogen units are located in close proximity to the refineries for several reasons:
- The major consumer for large volumes of Hydrogen has historically been Refinery Hydro-processing Units.
- The SMR units can capture waste heat and generate electricity and steam for use in refining.
- Historically pipeline infrastructure is limited for hydrogen service and the majority of hydrogen pipelines are dedicated for refinery use on the US Gulf Coast only.
- The proximity and integration with the refinery optimize the economics of the SMR process.
Hydrogen Technologies:
- Electrolysis – Hydrogen is extracted from a brine water solution utilizing DC current. The process requires large amounts of electrical power.
- Steam Methane Reformer (SMR) – The process is very inefficient and produces large volumes of carbon dioxide but is currently the only technology available for large H2 volume production.
- Gasification – Hydrogen is produced through high temperature conversion of refinery Pet Coke or coal or biomass.
Hydrogen Storage:
- Historically large volumes of hydrogen can only be stored economically in underground Salt Domes.
- Hydrogen in liquid form can be stored aboveground but the economics of refrigeration may limit the volume that can be stored.
- Hydrogen as a gas can be stored aboveground but the volume density is not economical for bulk storage.
Hydrogen for the Future:
- Hydrogen produced from Electrolysis utilizing renewable electricity from wind, solar, hydraulic, or geothermal electricity.
- Hydrogen produced from SMR technology with Carbon Capture and Sequestration Infrastructure.
- Hydrogen produced from Gasification Technology with Carbon Capture and Sequestration.
- Hydrogen utilized for the production of electricity through the use of gas turbine generators.
- Liquid Hydrogen for use in vehicles which utilize Fuel Cell technology to produce electricity for electric motor driven vehicles.
