CNH2 strengthens its capabilities to fast-track projects towards more advanced technological maturity levels

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At the Spanish National Hydrogen Centre (CNH2), we continue to expand our capabilities within the framework of the concluded Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Complementary Plan, thereby strengthening our potential in applied research, technology demonstration, and pre-industrial integration through the deployment and development of new portable pilot plants focused on waste valorisation and the production of sustainable fuels.

This action forms part of the programme funded under the agreement with the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation within the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, and involves ten autonomous communities. Thanks to this initiative, a strategic experimental infrastructure has been consolidated, which will accelerate the development of key technologies linked to renewable hydrogen and other sustainable fuels, supported by Next Generation EU funds.

In this way, CNH2 has acquired a set of portable pilot plants aimed at technology demonstration and industrial integration. These assets will reinforce our capabilities over the coming years and facilitate collaboration with like-minded organisations that contribute to progress and innovation in hydrogen technologies, enabling the delivery of projects at higher maturity levels.

Portable Pilot Plant for Hydrocarbon Production via the Fischer–Tropsch Process. This plant enables the synthesis of long-chain liquid hydrocarbons (such as gasoline, kerosene, gasoil/synthetic diesel, and waxes) from H₂ and CO in the presence of a catalyst in a fixed-bed reactor. It is a technology of strong interest for the development of sustainable drop-in fuels compatible with existing infrastructures.

Portable Pilot Plant for Methanol Production. This plant is based on the catalytic fixed-bed hydrogenation of CO₂ (or an H₂/CO₂/syngas mixture) to produce methanol, including product purification. Renewable methanol is a strategic energy vector, both for its role in the energy system and for its relevance as a chemical feedstock and in Power-to-X pathways.

Portable Pilot Plant for Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Upgrading. This plant is designed to convert organic waste into biogas through anaerobic digestion and to subsequently upgrade it to biomethane. The upgrading step consists of biological methanation, in which hydrogenotrophic archaea use the CO₂ present in biogas and exogenous H₂ to convert it into biomethane.

These capabilities are complemented by the biomass oxy-gasification plant, which enables the valorisation of agroforestry residues through thermochemical processes to generate synthesis gas. This syngas can be used as a feedstock for the Fischer–Tropsch and methanol plants, strengthening an integrated route for producing sustainable fuels from waste while also generating biochar as a valuable by-product for other applications.

Configuring these installations as portable pilot plants enhances their value as technology-demonstration assets, facilitating process validation, experimental data generation, and the preparation of new R&D&I and technology-transfer initiatives. Moreover, their portable design increases versatility and strengthens their potential for scaling up the different processes. The acquisition of these pilot plants contributes to CNH2’s strategic objectives, reinforcing its role as a reference infrastructure for the development of these technologies and advanced solutions in the field of renewable hydrogen.