From Forests to Fuel: A Green Revolution – Christopher Headrick

Have you ever heard of green hydrogen made from biomass? We hadn’t either until we hosted Christopher Headrick on the podcast. As the founder and chairman of H2 Energy Group, Christopher is working on a new method of green hydrogen production that uses cuttings and fallen biomass from trees. Not only does this prevent decomposing biomass from emitting GHGs into the atmosphere, but it also has the added benefit of eliminating fire hazards by cleaning up forests. The resulting green hydrogen can be used to power trucks, planes, and more without emitting CO2. A win-win situation for all!   

On this episode of Energy Superheroes, Chris talks about the science behind H2’s biomass-made hydrogen and how it’s a great example of circularity: 

• In order to produce green hydrogen, H2 Energy takes woody biomass and superheats it in the absence of oxygen, avoiding combustion. The process is called high-yield fast pyrolysis, which creates hydrogen-rich syngas (about 86% hydrogen by volume). The gas stream is then cleaned up to create a clean, pure hydrogen product. 
• According to Chris, if something is not economically sustainable, it can’t be considered sustainable at all. That’s why Chris is so focused on his green hydrogen product making economic sense. The good news is that operating costs for hydrogen fuel cell trucks are actually cheaper than diesel alternatives using H2 Energy’s hydrogen. 
• When it comes to heavy transport, hydrogen is the way to go. Based on rare metal mining and charging infrastructure alone, it doesn’t make sense to electrify heavy duty transportation. Chris says hydrogen is the best option for this category. 
• H2 Energy is also paving the way when it comes to the circular economy. Their hydrogen production process creates biochar as a waste product, a great soil additive for agriculture that reduces fertilizer and water usage. This biochar can be used to grow more plant matter for hydrogen production, starting the cycle all over again.