Hydrogen recovery, Green & Blue Hydrogen

In addition to our focus on impure hydrogen streams from reformers and synthesis gas sources of all kinds, Headwaters is known for turnkey hydrogen purification plants that require a greater degree of customized engineering. These projects typically include one or more of process tie-in, pre-treatment, supplementary reactors, hydrogen compression, and high pressure systems such as tube trailer filling. We have completed projects of this kind in a wide range of industrial settings, from steel mills to refineries.

Headwaters delivers low emission Hydrogen projects working with hydrogen produced through CCUS flowsheets based on natural gas reforming, electrolysis, synthesis gases derived from waste or biomass, from green ammonia and through steam reforming of renewable natural gas and biogas. We are also happy to provide licensed technology and proprietary equipment and engineering services to developers of new clean fuels plants.  Headwaters is uniquely capable of delivering proprietary equipment for hydrogen projects that meets and exceeds the U.S. content requirement of the Inflation Reduction Act, a major consideration for green hydrogen projects.

Our proprietary process flowsheets include combinations of our advanced PSA technology, Gas drying and purification technology from our partners at BASF, classic high temperature processes from our steam reformer technology and a host of other advanced component technologies. This palette of technologies allows us to provide optimized processes and proprietary process equipment that are tailored to client objectives. Unlike speculative, “new” hydrogen technologies, plants engineered by Headwaters use technology that is 100% proven, and has been fielded for over 50 years in commercial settings with high reliability and proven safety.

Blue or Green hydrogen Steam reformer and gasification-based hydrogen plants easily incorporate optional CO2 separation using hot potassium carbonate, amine or physical solvent technology.  This separated CO2 can be sequestered or used beneficially to even-further reduce net CO2 emissions.  Like reformers and PSA units, bulk CO2 removal technology is very proven, backed by our partner’s process guarantees and presents no technical risk.  Through our partnership with BASF, we are also able to offer proven processes for drying the CO2 for pipeline transmission or further processing.

Industrial projects in refining, chemicals and industrial gas applications make up more than half of our business, including an extensive revamp business troubleshooting and repairing historical plants from a variety of original suppliers. Our industrial, real-world experience with plants in service up to 50 years gives us deep insight into best practices and common failure modes in hydrogen systems, allowing us to combine the most modern technological advancements with proven historical design concepts to optimize reliability and operability.

This partnership leverages BASF’s robust portfolio of catalyst and adsorbents as well as deep expertise in purification of Hydrogen, in conjunction with Headwaters’ extensive experience in engineering, constructing, and delivery of H2 purification plants. This collaboration aims to deliver the best hydrogen purification technologies on the market, including DeOxo and Dehydration, to serve the rapidly growing Green and Blue Hydrogen markets. BASF’s process technology in purifying CO2 adds new adjacent markets for Headwaters, and nicely complements bulk CO2 extraction for gasification projects or our own steam reformer plants.