BIONICO · Project

Turn Biogas Into Pure Hydrogen On-Site With a Single Compact Reactor

energyPilotedTRL 6

Imagine you run a biogas plant — you've got methane coming out of cow manure or food waste, and you wish you could turn it straight into clean hydrogen fuel. Normally that takes a big, complicated factory with multiple processing steps. BIONICO built a single compact reactor that does everything in one box: it converts biogas to hydrogen and filters out the pure hydrogen at the same time. Think of it like a coffee machine that brews and filters in one step instead of needing separate pots — except here you get 100 kilograms of pure hydrogen per day at up to 72% energy efficiency.

By the numbers

100 kg/day

Hydrogen production capacity demonstrated

72%

Overall energy efficiency achieved through process intensification

100+

Membranes integrated in a single fluidized bed reactor

EUR 3,147,640

EU research funding invested

Consortium partners across 7 countries

73%

Industry partners in consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Biogas plant operators are stuck selling low-margin electricity while sitting on a feedstock that could produce high-value hydrogen. But conventional biogas-to-hydrogen conversion requires multiple expensive processing steps — separate reforming, gas cleanup, and hydrogen purification units — making it uneconomical for decentralized, smaller-scale operations. There is no simple, compact system that does it all in one step.

The solution

What was built

The project built and demonstrated a fluidized bed membrane reactor that integrates hydrogen production and purification into a single vessel, targeting TRL6 at a real biogas plant. Key deliverables include the preliminary design and integrated catalysts, membranes, and sealing for lab-scale membrane reactors, with 32 total deliverables covering the full development path to a 100 kg/day demonstration unit with more than 100 membranes.

Audience

Who needs this

Biogas plant operators looking to produce hydrogen instead of (or alongside) electricityHydrogen refueling station developers seeking decentralized green hydrogen supplyIndustrial gas companies wanting to offer local hydrogen production to smaller customersWaste management companies operating anaerobic digestion facilitiesAgricultural cooperatives with biogas capacity exploring new revenue streams

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Biogas and Waste-to-Energy

mid-size

Target: Biogas plant operators looking to diversify revenue beyond electricity

If you are a biogas plant operator dealing with shrinking feed-in tariffs and looking for higher-value outputs — this project developed a membrane reactor that converts your existing biogas directly into pure hydrogen in a single step. The system was demonstrated at TRL6 with a capacity of 100 kg/day of hydrogen and up to 72% overall efficiency, meaning you could add a hydrogen revenue stream without building a separate reforming facility.

Hydrogen Mobility and Refueling

any

Target: Hydrogen refueling station developers and fleet operators

If you are developing hydrogen refueling infrastructure and struggling with supply logistics — this technology produces 100 kg/day of pure hydrogen directly from locally available biogas. Instead of trucking in compressed hydrogen from centralized plants, you could generate it on-site near farms or waste treatment facilities, cutting transport costs and securing a decentralized green hydrogen supply for fuel cell vehicles.

Chemical and Industrial Gas Production

enterprise

Target: Industrial gas companies supplying hydrogen to small and mid-size customers

If you are an industrial gas supplier facing high distribution costs for small-volume hydrogen customers — this reactor integrates production and purification into one compact unit. With 100 kg/day capacity and a consortium of 11 partners across 7 countries already validating the technology, it offers a path to decentralized hydrogen production that could serve local industrial customers without pipeline infrastructure.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to install this system at my biogas plant?

The project does not publish per-unit installation costs. The total EU research funding was EUR 3,147,640 shared across 11 partners, which covered development and demonstration — not commercial production costs. A commercial price would depend on scaling decisions by the industrial partners in the consortium.

Can this scale beyond 100 kg/day for larger operations?

The demonstrated capacity is 100 kg/day at TRL6. The reactor uses more than 100 membranes in a single fluidized bed, and the modular membrane design suggests scaling is technically feasible. However, commercial-scale validation beyond the demonstrated capacity would require further engineering and investment.

Who owns the intellectual property and can I license this technology?

The consortium includes 8 industrial partners and 2 universities led by Politecnico di Milano. IP ownership typically follows EU funding rules where each partner owns the results they generate. Licensing would need to be negotiated with the relevant consortium members, likely the membrane and reactor technology developers.

Does this work with different types of biogas?

Yes. The project objective explicitly states that dedicated tests with different biogas compositions were carried out to show the flexibility of the process with respect to feedstock type. This means the reactor is not limited to one specific biogas source — it can handle variations from agricultural waste, landfill gas, or food waste.

How does the 72% efficiency compare to conventional hydrogen production from biogas?

The project states that the integrated membrane reactor achieves overall efficiency up to 72% thanks to process intensification. Conventional biogas-to-hydrogen systems require separate reforming, purification, and heat management steps, which typically reduce overall efficiency. The single-step approach eliminates intermediate losses.

Is this technology ready for commercial deployment today?

The project targeted TRL6 — demonstration in a relevant environment at a real biogas plant. The project closed in 2019, so results are available but commercialization would require further development to TRL8-9. The high industry ratio in the consortium (73%, 8 of 11 partners) suggests commercial intent exists.

Consortium

Who built it

The BIONICO consortium is heavily industry-driven: 8 out of 11 partners are industrial, giving a 73% industry ratio — far above average for EU research projects. This signals serious commercial ambition, not just academic research. The consortium spans 7 countries (CH, DE, ES, IT, NL, PT, UK) covering key European hydrogen and biogas markets. Led by Politecnico di Milano, one of Europe's top engineering universities, the project also includes 2 SMEs that likely bring specialized membrane or catalyst technology. The breadth of industrial involvement and geographic coverage suggests the technology was designed with market deployment in mind from the start, and multiple partners could serve as commercialization channels.

POLITECNICO DI MILANOCoordinator · IT
ABENGOA RESEARCH SLthirdparty · ES
ABENGOA INNOVACION SOCIEDAD ANONIMAparticipant · ES
FUNDACION TECNALIA RESEARCH & INNOVATIONparticipant · ES
RAUSCHERT KLOSTER VEILSDORF GMBHparticipant · DE
Quantis Sarlparticipant · CH
I.C.I CALDAIE SPAparticipant · IT
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVENparticipant · NL
JOHNSON MATTHEY PLCparticipant · UK

How to reach the team

The coordinator is Politecnico di Milano (Italy). SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the research team.

Order a report on this consortium See POLITECNICO DI MILANO profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore if this hydrogen-from-biogas technology fits your operations? SciTransfer can arrange a direct briefing with the BIONICO team and assess compatibility with your specific biogas feedstock and capacity needs.

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