Industries urgently need to transform how they produce and use energy, with technologies that cut energy losses, make full use of raw materials and by-products, and reduce environmental impact. Low-carbon hydrogen is key to this transition, serving as both a clean feedstock and an energy carrier for hard-to-abate sectors such as steel, chemicals and refining.
But producing hydrogen is only half the challenge. Before use, it usually has to be purified and compressed. Hydrogen often occurs in mixed gas streams, such as industrial off-gases or pipeline blends, and is frequently burned or vented instead of recovered. Yet current technologies rely on two separate machines or process steps for purification and compression, resulting in high energy consumption and added cost, especially for smaller, decentralised applications.