Hydrogen
Lagan MEICA, in partnership with CPH2 and Logan Energy, have developed pioneering technology which utilises water to create oxygen and hydrogen onsite at wastewater treatment works. The state-of-the-art, membrane free electrolyser splits water into its fundamental components: hydrogen and oxygen, with the oxygen used to increase capacity and performance in the wastewater treatment process, and the hydrogen ready to be used as fuel.
After passing rigorous factory acceptance tests in Doncaster, UK, the electrolyser is set to be deployed at Belfast Wastewater Treatment Works for an offline trial in March 2025. Operating at night, the electrolyser will harness curtailed renewable wind energy to process a side stream of primary settled effluent water for treatment in our trial plant. The electrolyser will use this off-peak energy to produce hydrogen which will be used for transport fuel, but more importantly, produces 8 times more oxygen which we will use to enhance the wastewater treatment process.
Our trials have demonstrated that when the oxygen gas is reintroduced into the sewage treatment process, the breakdown of organic materials is accelerated, with remarkable results:
a 15% reduction in treatment time, accelerating the breakdown of organic materials, plus an increase in capacity, the ability to handle greater volumes without expanding storage facilities.
a 31% increase in specific nitrification (reaction Rate )
13% decrease in energy usage, boosting overall efficiency.
6% reduction in sludge produced, significant for NI Water as it means less sludge processed and dried, less sludge transported to the incinerator in Belfast and less sludge to be disposed of in the incinerator.
Meanwhile, the hydrogen produced onsite is compressed and stored for use in fuel cells, powering hydrogen buses and cars. With Translink’s hydrogen buses operating just half a mile from the Belfast site, this project provides a highly practical and sustainable fuel source for local transport, further supporting Northern Ireland’s clean energy goals.
In terms of daily output, the electrolyser processes just 6m³ of water to produce:
3,600 kg of oxygen gas, boosting wastewater treatment capacity.
450 kg of hydrogen gas, enough to power 18 hydrogen buses efficiently.
A single hydrogen bus needs only 24 kg of hydrogen gas for an 8-hour shift, requiring less than 10 minutes to refuel.
This project exemplifies Lagan MEICA’s commitment to sustainability, innovation, and practical solutions that benefit the environment and the community.
We are currently publishing a paper on our oxygen trials with Northern Ireland Water, and actively seeking other opportunities with other stakeholders in the hydrogen market, such as Petronas, Oort Energy, and Hidrogen.
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HYDROGEN