Shell and Virent Energy Systems pursuing hydrogen from biomass

Shell Hydrogen and Virent Energy Systems have announced a five-year joint development agreement to develop and commercialize Virent's platform for hydrogen production from biomass.

Virent says its technology enables the economic production of hydrogen, among other fuels and chemicals, from renewable glycerol and sugar-based feedstocks.

The vast majority of hydrogen today is produced using fossil fuels, including natural gas and coal.

Virent and Shell will collaborate on the development and testing of hydrogen systems targeted for fueling station applications at Virent's facilities in Madison and the Shell Westhollow Technology Center in Houston. If research and development goes to plan, initial deployment of the new technology at a Shell hydrogen fueling station could follow within several years.

"This collaboration will speed development and deployment of our technology not only in hydrogen fueling station applications, but in the broader industrial hydrogen market as well," said Eric Apfelbach, Virent's president and CEO.

The worldwide market for distributed and centralized hydrogen is currently approximately 45 million tons each year.

Virent's BioForming™ process is the first commercial application of Aqueous Phase Reforming, a catalytic, low-temperature thermochemical route to biofuel production. The company says its approach is superior to conventional fermentation and high-temperature thermochemical routes, as it's scalable, cost-effective, and produces more net energy than existing methods.

Headquartered in Madison, Wis., Virent has 43 employees and is expanding to occupy 23,000 square feet of lab, production, and office space.

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