Industrial heating systems represent a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for almost one-fifth of emissions globally. While electrification is considered a practical solution to the decarbonization of these systems, this is not a feasible route for steel manufacturing and other sectors requiring very high temperatures. Reliance on hydrogen offers a sustainable and alternative solution that can be evaluated in an industrial-scale testbed established by the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) in the U.K.

HyDecarb is designed to provide manufacturers with access to industrial-scale equipment capable of testing different hydrogen and natural gas fuel blends under controlled conditions. The facility aims to bridge the gap between laboratory-based research and commercial deployment by allowing companies to evaluate fuel-switching technologies before investing in full-scale implementation.

The project replicates the exact conditions found in aging U.K. factories to support real-world testing capabilities. An initial study will overhaul a 20-year-old industrial furnace by converting it to operate on any blend of natural gas and hydrogen. To power the furnace, the AMRC will integrate an advanced gas decarbonization unit engineered to separate methane into hydrogen and solid carbon using microwave pyrolysis.

Carbon is extracted prior to combustion in a bid to reduce carbon dioxide emissions while allowing manufacturers to continue using existing gas-based infrastructure. The solid carbon produced is subsequently converted into activated carbon, a material widely used in water treatment and air filtration applications.