A Authorities-funded collaboration will see Levidian’s LOOP know-how used to decarbonise biogas created by wastewater therapy in United Utilities’ Manchester Bioresources Centre at Davyhulme.

LOOP cracks methane into hydrogen and carbon, utilizing the latter to provide graphene, a cloth valued for being stronger than metal and thinner than paper.

This trial follows a profitable feasibility examine and can function the primary demonstration of a LOOP100. The venture has been awarded £3m of funding from the Division of Power Safety and Web Zero Hydrogen BECCS Innovation Programme competitors and can ship greater than 1,000 hours of in-situ testing, verifying the manufacturing of separated hydrogen and graphene.

As a part of the venture, Liverpool John Moores College will assess the potential utilization of hydrogen inside the Liverpool Metropolis Area and Jacobs will present experience in carbon lifecycle evaluation, social worth evaluation, and commercialisation. Functions of the graphene produced by the LOOP might be developed collectively by Levidian and United Utilities with a selected concentrate on decreasing the carbon footprint of concrete used inside United Utilities’ capital programme.

Whereas the demonstrator LOOP100 might be able to processing round 15m³ of biogas per hour, this demonstration is meant to be a stepping stone towards bigger installations, enabling United Utilities to sustainably produce hydrogen from biogas.

This comes at an important time for the UK on its journey to internet zero. The partnership brings world trailblazing tech to the North West, supporting each Manchester’s bold objectives of turning into a zero-carbon metropolis by 2038 and the decarbonisation journey of the water trade.

Levidian’s CEO, John Hartley, mentioned: “There’s nowhere higher to be embarking on the subsequent part of Levidian and United Utilities’ partnership than in Manchester, the place graphene was found. We’re excited concerning the potential of this collaboration and recognize the Authorities’s help for the subsequent part of its growth.”

Lisa Mansell, Chief Engineer (Innovation) for United Utilities, added: “That is an extremely thrilling growth. In addition to enabling use to seize carbon from our biogas manufacturing, it’s going to additionally recuperate two excessive worth merchandise – hydrogen and graphene – which is a constructive step ahead in reaching carbon discount targets for each United Utilities and the broader North West.”