French startup Qairos Energies said it will invest nearly €18.8 million ($23 million) in its planned facility that will turn locally grown hemp into hydrogen and methane.
Qairos, based in Mareil-en-Champagne, said its hydrogen output will be converted into electricity for fuel cells to power buses and trains. The factory will also produce methane for Gaz Réseau Distribution France, the exclusive distributor of natural gas in France and the leading distributor in Europe.
The facility, to be located in Trangé, near Le Mans in northwestern France, is based on pyrogasification technology, an alternative to electrolysis. Pyrogasification consists of heating biomass at high temperatures in the presence of a small amount of oxygen, which converts the material into gas while also producing CO2 and heat. The waste-free process eliminates the tars that result from some refining methods.
Qairos said it will source local hemp within a 35-kilometer radius of its Trangé facility, with members of Fermiers de Loué, an agriculture cooperative, supplying the biomass. The company in 2020 conducted hemp trials as part of establishing industrialization and development processes. Qairos said it will eventually need hemp from 1,000 hectares for full operations.
To read more, click on https://hemptoday.net/french-energy-firm-will-invest-23-million-in-hemp-fueled-gas-plant/