- A company with the ambition to build the first waste plastic to hydrogen system in Europe and ultimately worldwide has listed on the AQSE Growth Market (ASQE).
- Hydrogen Utopia International PLC (HUI) the company pioneering non-recyclable waste plastics to hydrogen technology made the announcement on the 6th of January 2022, under the ticker “HUI”.
The company’s primary goal and ambition is to build the first waste plastic to hydrogen system on the European continent incorporating Powerhouse Energy Group plc’s (AIM: PHE) DMGⓇ technology and to create a substantial project pipeline worldwide. Initially HUI acquired the exclusive rights to market Powerhouse’s DMGⓇ technology in Hungary, Poland and Greece and has non-exclusive rights for the rest of the world.
HUI has forged strong alliances with leading players in their fields such as Linde (the leading global industrial gases group), Sweco (one of Europe’s leading engineering, environmental technology and architecture consultancies) and Electron Thermal Processing (a Dutch specialist heat treatment system provider) in order to ensure a successful rollout of its systems.
Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental issues of the 21st Century – rapidly increasing production of disposable plastic products is overwhelming the world’s ability to deal with them. Currently 368 million tonnes of plastic is produced each year, a fraction of which is recycled or disposed of responsibly, with production expected to double by 2030 and quintuple by 2050. HUI’s systems will solve the dual issue of dispensing with non-recyclable and end-of-life plastics and aiding decarbonisation through providing hydrogen and other energy sources not dependent upon the use of coal, natural gas, oil and fossil fuel derived electricity
HUI is targeting areas where there is a significant private sector interest or potential financial backing is accessible and/or where substantial EU and/or government funded sources of grants and loans are available, such as the EU’s “Just Transition Fund” which was set up to help fossil fuel dependent communities transition towards climate neutrality.
HUI’s flagship project is set to be in Konin, Poland. Following the signing of an agreement between HUI and the City of Konin in February 2021, prestigious engineering firm Sweco has been instrumental in identifying a suitable plot for the proposed HUI plant, close to the city’s existing waste remediation facilities. It is anticipated that up to ten HUI plants will be built in Konin in due course. An environmental impact assessment application has been submitted – put together by Sweco engineers in conjunction with HUI – and it is anticipated that approval should be granted within the next 9-12 months.
In addition, HUI has signed letters of intent with the city of Simitli, in Bulgaria, the city of Florina, in Greece, and strong opportunities have been identified in Hungary and the Netherlands. As soon as the first HUI plant is operational and the waste plastics-to-hydrogen vision becomes a reality, HUI anticipates momentum will gather to add numerous other locations.
HUI’s waste plastic to hydrogen process, incorporating DMG® technology, is an efficient and environmentally friendly technology that converts end of life plastics into a source of energy. An advanced thermal chemical recycling process takes unrecyclable plastics and converts them into syngas (a mixture of methane, hydrogen and carbon monoxide) through a robust, scientifically well-established technology. The system deals with all types of waste plastic, which requires no cleaning but simply need to be shredded.
The HUI units will typically see an output of up to 2.7 tonnes of pure road fuel quality hydrogen from 40 tonnes of plastic feedstock. The model has the capacity to be rolled out across the globe and is adaptable in line with site specifics and characteristics – for example the electrified thermo chemical conversion chamber could be supplied from local renewable sources, rendering the production step of valuable syngas with zero or low carbon emissions. The systems can be constructed on as little as 1.5 hectares and can be bolted on to existing waste remediation facilities with ease.
Guy Peters, Executive Chairman of HUI, commented: “Today’s listing is an important milestone in HUI’s development. We are pioneering the use of technology to turn non-recyclable waste plastics into hydrogen – addressing the major environmental threat posed by waste plastic and providing alternative energy sources which are not dependent upon the use of coal, natural gas, oil and fossil fuel derived electricity.”
Author: Zeenat Ganie
This article was originally published on ESI Africa and is republished with permission with minor editorial changes.
