CHAR Technologies Ltd. unveiled a test project with Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI) to develop a high-temperature pyrolysis to green hydrogen system at their existing San Luis Obispo (SLO) anaerobic digestion facility in California.

Under the definitive agreement with HZI’s SLO operating company, CHAR’s high-temperature pyrolysis system will process 18,000 t per year of solid anaerobic digestate into 1,320 t of green hydrogen per year, and 2,800 t per year of biocarbon. The project will be delivered under a BOOT (build-own-operate-transfer) model, where CHAR will be the initial project owner, with HZI managing system operations. 

“We’re excited to work with HZI, a global anaerobic digestion system developer who just celebrated their 100^th Kompogas plant, to further add value to the waste streams they process,” said Andrew White, CEO of CHAR. “The HZI SLO facility currently produces green electricity from green bin wastes, and adding our system allows for the additional production of green hydrogen into the California market.”

With the commercial terms agreed to, CHAR and HZI will collaboratively engage with the community of San Luis Obispo. It is anticipated that a community education meeting will take place in the near future.