MODELLING STEAM METHANE REFORMER OPERATION WITH HYDROGEN-ENRICHED FEEDSTOCK

Natural gas enrichment by renewable hydrogen belongs to key tools in reaching the ambitious decarbonization goals set by the European Union. Problems related to the renewable hydrogen production, its co-transport with natural gas and combustion properties of hydrogen-natural gas mixtures are researched intensely. Less attention is paid to the consequences of consumption of such gas mixtures in steam reformers - important natural gas consumers for industrial hydrogen production. Available studies recommend and assess hydrogen pre-separation. While possible, it is quite costly, especially regarding the inevitable presence of a large pressure gradient, whether in membrane or adsorption-desorption separations, coupled with large power requirements for the recompression of the low-pressure effluent. This stimulated the presented study devoted to assessing the operation of an industrial steam methane reformer with hydrogen-enriched feed and comparing the energy and carbon footprint of hydrogen production from conventional and enriched feed. Key findings are obtained, indicating which way of hydrogen recovery is more cost- effective and more environmentally friendly: whether hydrogen pre-separation or routing the hydrogen-enriched feed to the steam reformer.