bp selects BASF technology for hydrogen facility

bp selects BASF’s carbon capture technology for blue hydrogen project in Teesside. (Image: bp)

bp said it will use BASF’s gas treating technology, OASE white, to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) generated during hydrogen production at bp’s proposed blue hydrogen facility in Teesside UK.

H2Teesside aims to be one of the UK’s largest blue hydrogen production facilities, targeting 1.2 GW of hydrogen production by 2030, equating to over 10% of the UK government’s hydrogen target of 10 GW by the same year. Blue hydrogen is produced from natural gas, with the carbon dioxide also generated captured for storage.

BASF’s OASE1 white, a proven technology in many ammonia, hydrogen and carbon monoxide plants across the world, is designed to provide a CO2 capture rate of up to 99.99%. The continuous OASE gas treatment process adds an amine-based solvent agent to the gas stream where it absorbs the CO2. After this, both components (CO2 and Amine) are separated from the hydrogen rich gas stream before being separated once more by fractionation. The CO2 is then sent for storage and the OASE solvent agent is re-used in the process.

Carbon capture at H2Teesside could capture and send for storage of approximately two million tons of CO₂ per year via the bp-led Northern Endurance partnership, the CO2 transportation and storage company that will deliver the onshore and offshore infrastructure needed to capture carbon from a range of emitters across Teesside and the Humber.

“This agreement marks another critical milestone for H2Teesside as the project builds momentum and continues to move towards commercial operations, planned for 2028,” said Will Harrison-Cripps, H2Teesside Asset Development Lead at bp. “Along with its sister project HyGreen Teesside, H2Teesside could play a critical role in decarbonizing industry and heavy transport on Teesside, helping to transform the region into a leading hydrogen hub and kickstart the UK’s low carbon hydrogen economy.”

In October 2023, bp also announced it had signed a licensing and engineering agreement for Johnson Matthey’s LCH blue hydrogen technology, which will enable the hydrogen production element of the process.