Metacon S.A., the wholly owned Greek subsidiary of Sweden's Metacon AB (publ), has been awarded European Union project funding to develop and demonstrate hydrogen production from biomethane as part of the BIOH2VAP project.
The grant covers an effective amount of approximately €241,920. Metacon S.A.'s project budget is €302,400, of which €241,920 is covered by public funding. The subsidiary is based in Patras, Greece, while parent company Metacon AB is headquartered in Uppsala, Sweden.
Under the project, a pilot plant will be constructed at an existing industrial biogas plant in Ierapetra, on the Greek island of Crete. The facility is to cover biogas upgrading, biomethane production and the demonstration of reforming-based hydrogen generation.
Operation and data collection under industrial conditions are intended to provide an opportunity to evaluate and refine technical performance and operating efficiency, and to prepare the technology for commercial deployment.
For Metacon, the project adds to the commercialization roadmap for its proprietary reforming technology and supports the development of hydrogen solutions that use renewable feedstocks.
The project will also create a platform for assessing how hydrogen production can be integrated with existing biogas infrastructure and local residue streams, with the stated aim of improving resource efficiency and strengthening the business case for circular hydrogen production.
"The BIOH2VAP project gives us a new industrial platform to demonstrate clean hydrogen production from biomethane and optimize its commercial potential," said Christer Wikner, President and CEO of Metacon. He added that the project expands the company'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.