Hanlan Environment Commissions CO₂ Capture Unit at Biogas-to-Hydrogen Plant

July 24 — Hanlan Environment has commissioned a carbon capture unit at its biogas-to-hydrogen production facility, enabling the recovery of more than 15,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. The system captures CO₂ from the hydrogen production process and converts it into industrial products while recycling methane for energy use.

The carbon capture system applies carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technology to process off-gas generated during hydrogen production. Methane separated from the gas stream is recycled as fuel for the reforming furnace, while the captured CO₂ is liquefied into industrial-grade carbon dioxide, which can also be processed into dry ice. The products are supplied to industries including metal casting, chemicals, fire protection and cold-chain logistics.

Hanlan's project is China's first large-scale integrated biogas-to-hydrogen and hydrogen refueling facility and the first biomass-based hydrogen project in Asia to receive ISCC EU certification. Over its lifetime, the project is expected to reduce carbon emissions by nearly one million tonnes.

The project integrates renewable energy production with carbon capture to establish a closed-loop carbon management model for hydrogen production. It also demonstrates that CCUS can be deployed economically beyond traditional large-scale power generation and petrochemical applications, extending its use to distributed biomass-to-hydrogen facilities.

By converting captured CO₂ into marketable products such as liquid carbon dioxide and dry ice at the production site, the project reduces transportation requirements while creating additional revenue opportunities. The approach provides a practical reference for improving the commercial viability of CCUS projects in the hydrogen sector.