Graforce founder Dr. Jens Hanke
“The technology we’ve developed is capable of cleaning wastewater and producing
a low-cost, low-emission fuel from it,” says Graforce founder Dr. Jens Hanke at
today’s launch of a demonstration plant in Berlin. “This lets us contribute to solving
two pressing problems at once: air pollution and wastewater treatment.”
Plasmalysis
The Berlin-based tech company Graforce has introduced
a unique technology: Plasmalysis saves resources in its highly efficient generation
of hydrogen from industrial waste water. Mixing in biogas produces hydrogenenriched
compressed natural gas (HCNG) – a cost-effective, environmentally
friendly fuel for vehicles that also generates electricity and heat. The technology not
only converts wastewater pollutants into valuable energy, but also reduces
emissions (CO2, CO, HC) by 30 to 60 percent. Nitrogen oxide emissions are also
reduced by up to 60 percent. Graforce’s partners include carmaker Audi and
Berliner Wasserbetriebe.
Cost-effective fuel with lower emissions
Graforce produces hydrogen using the plasmalysis process in its demonstration
plant in Berlin. The process uses electricity to split wastewater obtained from
biogas, sewage treatment and industrial plants into oxygen and hydrogen. Mixing
hydrogen with biogas produces HCNG, which can be used as fuel in natural gas
vehicles and in block heating and gas power plants. Only purified water and oxygen
remain as waste products. Hydrogen production using plasmalysis is 50-60%
cheaper than with conventional processes.
Audi tests wastewater use of methane production with e-fuels
German carmaker Audi has also been committed its reliance for many years to
alternative, synthetic fuels. One of the biggest challenges to e-fuel production is the
wastewater produced by biogas plants. It requires very expensive cleaning or
disposal. Integrating plasmalysis technology into Audi’s e-fuel plants repurposes the
wastewater into hydrogen production while purifying it at the same time. This
enables Audi’s systems to be used more efficiently. “Graforce’s plasmalysis is an
important contribution to low-emission fuel production while boosting the
economy and efficiency of biogas and power-to-gas plants,” explains Dr. Hermann
Pengg, Head of Project Management for Renewable Fuels at Audi and CEO of Audi
Industriegas GmbH.
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