Raven trials hydrogen production reformer
The commercial field trial comes shortly ahead of Raven SR’s Round C financing that is expected to close this fall.
Raven SR Inc announced the results of the field trial of its non-combustion equilibrium Steam/CO2 Reforming SR2 unit, which converted methane to transportation-grade hydrogen at a rate exceeding other commercially available technologies for producing hydrogen from methane.
Over 95% of the hydrogen currently produced in the U.S. uses Steam Methane Reformation (SMR), which has an average first-pass conversion efficiency of only 75-80%.
The trial comes on the eve of Raven SR opening its Round C financing, which is expected to close this fall, with Raven SR advised by Barclays and BofA Securities. Raven’s roster of strategic investors before its Round C launch includes Chevron, Ascent Hydrogen Fund, ITOCHU, Samsung and Hyzon Motors.
Raven SR plans to bring its first commercial Steam/CO2 Reforming production facility online in the first half of 2023 at the West Contra Costa Sanitary Landfill in Richmond, Calif., where Raven’s facility will convert organic green waste into transportation-grade hydrogen for local customers.
Raven SR’s technology is designed to efficiently and economically produce hydrogen-rich syngas, the essential building block for clean fuels. Raven SR’s renewable energy products include hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuels, synthetic liquid fuels (diesel, Jet A, mil-spec, JP-8), additives and solvents (such as methanol, butanol, and naphtha), which will further promote local and regional energy independence and security.
Matt Murdock, CEO of Raven SR, said, “Today’s results demonstrate, at scale, the core of Raven SR’s industry-leading technology. With this unit, built at our Benicia facility, Raven SR can rapidly scale up production and project deployment.”
Jim Hays, business unit director at POWER Engineers, commented, “Raven SR’s technology is not only a major improvement upon existing technologies like SMR but a significant step toward the future of clean hydrogen energy.”
Terry Mazanec, COO of Lee Enterprises Consulting, added, “The Raven SR process allows under-utilized mountains of waste to be diverted from landfills and converted into the renewable fuels needed for the transition away from fossil resources.”
