Using steam methane and auto thermal reforming processes for blue hydrogen production

Blue Hydrogen Advisory and Technology Selection

Our client was looking to blend hydrogen into their natural gas-run power plant in Western Canada. The use of hydrogen—a cleaner energy source—would allow our client to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that the current plant emits, but they wanted to know to what extent and how it could impact their operations.

In an initial assessment, Stantec validated and designed a steam methane reformer (SMR) with carbon capture and storage. We maximized the possible hydrogen injection based on integrity and energy consistency principals—the SMR would deliver 20% volume injection into the natural gas pipeline. During a second, more detailed assessment, the client wanted to explore the possibility of increasing the volume of hydrogen produced using auto-thermal reforming (ATR) with carbon capture. We verified information the client received from a technology licensor and provided advisory and technical services on balance of plant capital expenditure (capex) needs, implementation, and other technical decisions.

Altogether, our team provided information to help the client fully understand blue hydrogen production and its use. This helped the client better evaluate the potential for hydrogen adoption to cut their power plant’s carbon dioxide emissions.