Identification & Background

Name of the project| BioHyCarb – Production of Hydrogen and Carbon Materials from Sustainable Sources

Acronym| BioHyCarb

Operation Code| COMPETE2030-FEDER-03249000

Project number| 26088

Project description| BioHyCarb proposes a new and innovative business model for the development of processes enabling the simultaneous and controlled production of renewable hydrogen and carbon materials, offering technological, sustainable, and strategic solutions for the industrial sector. The proposal arises from the opportunity to valorize the biomethane generated during biochar production, a resource currently underutilized for thermal energy generation.

Approval date | 23/03/2026
Start date | 01/06/2026
Completion date | 31/05/2029

Total eligible investment | 1 429 128,88 €
Financial support | 1 135 836,17 €

Leader| BTL – Indústrias Metalúrgicas, S.A.
Partners|
BGW – Bio Green Woods;
IPB – Instituto Politécnico de Bragança;
FEUP – Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto;
MORE – Laboratório Colaborativo Montanhas de Investigação – Associação

  • Syngas pre-treatment process optimization (composed of CH4, H2, CO, and CO2), generated during charcoal production, aiming to enrich its composition in CH₄ and H2
  • Catalytic CH₄ pyrolysis process optimization, targeting the sustainable and decentralized production of renewable H₂ and carbon materials
  • H₂ purification process optimization to achieve the purity required for fuel cell applications (99.97%)
  • Implementation and demonstration of the optimized processes in a relevant-scale industrial unit (BGW)
  • Study of the adsorption process for CH4/H2/CO/CO2 separation and H2 purification;
  • Study of the catalytic CH4 pyrolysis process;
  • Pre-prototyping and validation at laboratory scale;
  • Demonstration of the potential of the processes at a relevant scale;
  • Communication, dissemination, and exploitation of the project results;
  • Project management.
  • A syngas pre-treatment and H₂ purification process;
  • A catalytic biomethane pyrolysis process, optimized for the controlled and stable production of renewable H₂ and carbon nanotubes;
  • Carbon nanotubes to be applied in water treatment through advanced oxidation processes for the removal of emerging contaminants.