Western-Australia has been given the go ahead by the state government’s Renewable Hydrogen Strategy to commence a project to produce low-emission hydrogen and graphite from sewage. Using iron ore as the catalyst, the technology company Hazer Group will shift the wastewater treatment process into a green alternative.

Biogas, primarily composed of methane and carbon dioxide, is released during the wastewater treatment process as solid matter breaks down. Biogas is a natural form of waste-to-energy by recycling substances into productive resources. It prevents pollution of landfills, the use of toxic chemicals in sewage treatment plants and doesn’t require fossil fuels to produce energy. 

Currently this renewable fuel is used to produce electricity for the treatment plant and the excess gas is burned off. Using innovative technology developed at the University of Western Australia and iron ore, this excess will be converted, using a carbon abatement method, into renewable hydrogen and graphite.

According to Waste Management Review, “Hydrogen has a wide range of industrial and commercial uses, including vehicle fuel and chemical feedstock. Additionally, graphite has potential for a number of industrial applications, such as the production of lithium-ion batteries, water purification and advanced materials.”

The project will showcase the capacity of renewable hydrogen to transform the future into a zero-emissions transport fuel for buses, heavy trucking and waste collection.