12 Benefits of the CBR Reformer
Our Concord Blue Reformer© stands out from other technologies. It has many advantages including features, which allow us to produce our hydrogen cheaper than alternatives. We now present twelve (12) points in which our waste to energy reforming technology is superior to alternatives.
#1 – Produces 3 to 4 times more energy
Waste can be processed in various ways. One widely used method is through the use of incineration, which burns waste to produce steam that can then be used to generate electricity. This process is not only harmful to the environment releasing hazardous chemicals including dioxins and furans but only produces significantly less energy. Our CBR© technology uses a steam thermolysis reforming process, which can produce hydrogen from the same waste feedstock creating three to four times more energy.
#2 – Lower operating costs
We have been improving and optimizing our core CBR© technology over the last two decades resulting in more energy (higher yields) at lower operating costs. To produce one kilogram of hydrogen using electrolysis-based technologies costs around six to eight euros today thanks to IPCEI grants. Note the actual operating costs are significantly higher.
These subsidized operating costs for electrolysis plants are approximately three to four times higher than the costs to operate a Concord Blue waste to hydrogen facility. These savings result in greater returns for investors and lower costs to consumers.
#3 – Produces significantly less CO2 emissions
Most of the hydrogen produced today uses a process called steam methane reforming, which consumes fossil fuels (natural gas) to produce hydrogen generating large amounts of CO2 emissions. Likewise, most of the world’s waste today is eliminated using incinerators—one of the world’s dirtiest forms of energy producing large quantities of CO2 per unit of energy generated. The Concord Blue Reformer© replaces both of these high CO2 emissions technologies using a process certified as net negative CO2 emissions by RedCert auditors resulting in savings of over 100,000 tons of CO2 annually for our upcoming Herten W2H2 facility.
#4 – Local demand growing exponentially for Concord Blue’s low-cost hydrogen
Northwest Germany is home to five upcoming Concord Blue waste to hydrogen facilities. Due to growing demand in both the transportation and industrial sectors, forecasters estimate local hydrogen consumption to grow 450% to 54,000 tons annually by 2030 in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany (MELUND December 2020).
#5 – Consumes 88% less electricity to produce hydrogen
Electrolysis is commonly used today to produce green hydrogen. This technology consumes large quantities of fresh water and energy in the form of electricity to produce less energy in the form of hydrogen. For every 1 kg of hydrogen produced, electrolysis will consume approximately 55 kWhr of electricity. In contrast, Concord Blue’s CBR© technology uses the latent energy inside waste to produce our hydrogen requiring essentially no external energy during normal operations post-startup. This results in less than 7 kWhr of electricity to produce 1 kg of our hydrogen—more than 8 times lower than electrolysis.
#6 – Repurposes carbon to produce more hydrogen and CO2 emission savings
Concord Blue waste to hydrogen facilities uses well proven technologies including water gas shift reactors (WGS), which catalytically converts carbon in our syngas into additional hydrogen. This increases our energy output while reducing our CO2 emissions and thereby increasing the emission savings certified by RedCert auditors from using CBR© technology.
#7 – Produces no ash
Incinerators burn waste thereby creating significant quantities of ash—typically equal to 15-20% of the feedstock tonnage incinerated annually. Ash production and storage is a significant problem in many locations throughout the world today with landfill tipping fees routinely costing USD $300-400 per ton of ash and forecasted to increase as communities focus on reducing landfills in their neighborhoods.
Our Concord Blue Reformers© do not burn waste. Therefore, the only ash that exits our facilities is the ash contained in the input feedstock. This improves both the environment and bottom line.
#8 – No fossil fuels are consumed to create hydrogen using our CBR© technology
Steam methane reforming, which produces most of the world’s hydrogen today, consumes large quantities of fossil fuels (natural gas) generating large amounts of CO2 emissions. In comparison, Concord Blue’s CBR© technology produces hydrogen without the use of fossil fuels by utilizing the latent energy inside waste.
#9 – Processes a wide range of waste feedstocks
Concord Blue Reformers© can produce hydrogen from a wide variety of different waste feedstocks. For example, CBR© technology can process biomass including kitchen waste, all types of household and municipal solid wastes, industrial wastes including sludge, plastics and rubbers as well as agricultural wastes. Practically all types of waste streams can be processed by Concord Blue Reformers© into hydrogen-rich syngas, which can then be used directly as a natural gas replacement, further refined into hydrogen and biofuels, or used as fuel for gas turbines to generate base load electricity.
#10 – Employs modular scale, design & construction principles for easier builds
Concord Blue facilities are designed using scalable CBR© towers, which can be added or subtracted to easily achieve the optimal capacity. CBR© facilities can be as small as 250kW to as large as 400MW and therefore can handle a wide range of different applications from processing small batches of household wastes to handling waste processing for large municipalities and industrial applications.
#11 – Eliminates waste feedstocks earning additional revenue stream
Unlike other technologies which produce hydrogen by consuming large quantities of fossil fuels or electricity, Concord Blue Reformers© rely on the energy inside waste to produce our hydrogen. This results in not one but two favorable outcomes: Firstly, the creation of CO2 free hydrogen. Secondly, the elimination of waste—a highly valued service by waste management companies who routinely pay lucrative tipping fees for this capacity.
#12 – CBR© W2H2 facilities do not require centralized supporting infrastructure
Most energy plants must be built at special locations that provide access to key municipal infrastructure. For example, incinerators generating electricity must be located within close proximity to the electrical grid. Facilities which use steam methane reforming must have access to natural gas and therefore are often located near gas pipelines. Likewise, electrolysis plants require fresh water and low-cost electricity and therefore are often located nearby offshore wind farms far away from most customers. In contrast, CBR W2H2 facilities are more flexible not requiring centralized supporting infrastructure and therefore can be decentralized located closer to end customers.
Result
In conclusion, our Concord Blue reforming technology provides numerous benefits today. These advantages will continue to grow over time as our core process technologies are further refined and optimized driven by a world that increasingly values clean, low-cost, CO2 free energy capable of being produced locally and thereby providing true energy independence.
Together
TOWARDS A BETTER FUTURE
If you are interested in learning more about us or acquiring, building, operating and/or licensing our technology, please contact us.