UCLA engineers launch pilot project to turn campus waste into hydrogen fuel

UCLA Samueli School of Engineering researchers are collaborating with industry partner Mote to transform biomass waste on campus into hydrogen fuel while removing and sequestering carbon dioxide.

Led by Dante Simonetti, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at UCLA Samueli, the team has been testing and evaluating a pilot-scale biomass gasification system since April with three key objectives: carbon removal, waste reduction and clean energy production.

The process could turn UCLA's biomass waste - approximately 7 tons per day of materials including food waste and plant trimmings - into hydrogen gas while capturing carbon dioxide released during the process before it escapes into the atmosphere. The team estimates that the resulting hydrogen could generate enough power to meet about 2% of UCLA's total electricity needs or serve as an on-demand energy source during peak periods for several hundred hours each year. Alternatively, the hydrogen produced could fuel approximately 100 hydrogen vehicles, supporting clean transportation at UCLA.

The research is supported by Mote, a climate technology company headquartered in Los Angeles that has developed a process to remove carbon and generate hydrogen from woody biomass, including urban green waste and residues from California wildfire-prevention efforts. The current project combines Mote's gasification platform and pilot-scale technology with UCLA Samueli's expertise in catalytic processes, systems engineering and sustainability-focused research.

"This joint effort provides a unique opportunity for our students and researchers to work at the intersection of fundamental science and real-world application," Simonetti said. "By partnering with Mote, we can accelerate the development of technologies that convert waste streams into clean energy while training the next generation of engineers and innovators."

Read more at the UCLA Samueli website.