Waste to Hydrogen - How It Works

Waste to Hydrogen – How it Works

Green hydrogen has an important role to play in decarbonization. Hydrogen production continues to evolve and become more accessible and economical and there are now new methods to convert waste to hydrogen.

Every year the United States alone produces 9 million tons of Aluminum scrap metal. On average, only 35% of that waste is actually recycled. The rest is left to sit in a landfill to decompose over the next 200 to 500 years. What if there was a better solution to repurpose aluminum while creating renewable energy?

At GenHydro, our clean, renewable energy process starts from extracting energy from waste aluminum to produce hydrogen. These metals typically have a long, useful life, then GenHydro extract 85% of the stored energy back out.

The process starts by milling down the aluminum scrap to micron sized particles and combining it with a chemical processor to assist the reaction. When exposing aluminum to high temperature steam and high pressure, it starts to corrode the surface in milliseconds. The oxygen then separates in the steam, releasing the hydrogen gas.

While the steam makes its way through external cracks in the aluminum, hydrogen bubbles begin to form under the surface. As this pressure builds, the hydrogen is freed, breaking the now oxidized aluminum into submicron particles. Which simultaneously release high levels of thermal energy that can later be used for electrical power. GenHydro currently has multiple projects underway that will have a daily production capacity equivalent to powering over 15,000 homes.

With a mix of hydrogen, aluminum oxide, and excess steam exiting the reactor and following through a series of separations, the reaction is completed. The remaining steam is recycled to keep the reaction going without the need for any additional energy input.

GenHydro’s waste to hydrogen method allows us to produce emissions-free hydrogen by repurposing waste aluminum. Our novel technology is ready to bridge the gap for industries moving towards a future free of fossil fuels.