AVEVA World Conference Abstract

Business Challenge

OMC Thermochemistry is tackling one of the most pressing industrial challenges: large-scale decarbonization of “hard to abate” industries via low-carbon hydrogen and syngas production. Current industrial processes for hydrogen and syngas are carbon-intensive. Alternative green solutions are costly and difficult to scale. To drive widespread adoption of sustainable solutions, it is essential to develop scalable and economically viable alternatives.

OMC, using technology first discovered at the University of Colorado Boulder, has developed a novel thermochemical process that enables low-emission hydrogen and syngas production. Proving the technical and economic feasibility of a first-of-a-kind technology is critical to attracting investment for further developing and ultimately commercializing the process. A key challenge is accurately modeling the costs and material flows associated with scaling from a small experimental setup to full industrial-scale deployment [often referred to as the “Nth plant” scenario].

To solve this, OMC Thermochemistry leveraged AVEVA Process Simulation to rigorously model plant operations, material usage, and plant costs. The ability to validate our technology using a first-principles approach backed by AVEVA’s trusted software is a game-changer for demonstrating competitive unit economics and securing investor confidence.

AVEVA Portfolio Solution

AVEVA Process Simulation [APS] played a pivotal role in our technology development by enabling precise heat and material balance modeling. This allowed us to:

Develop Unit Economics – We modeled the “Nth plant” production capacity of our thermochemical process to demonstrate the economic viability of our technology, proving its competitive cost structure.
Perform Life-Cycle Analyses [LCA] – Using APS in tandem with the Argonne GREET model, we are working to quantify the decarbonization potential of our process, illustrating how it can significantly reduce carbon emissions in industrial applications.
Overcome Complex Reaction Modeling Challenges – Our process involves non-stoichiometric reactions, which are traditionally difficult to simulate. APS enabled us to separate chemical reactions from catalyst circulation while modifying built-in software constants to match experimental data.
Enhance Grant Applications and Funding Efforts – With validated economic and environmental benefits derived from APS modeling, we successfully submitted high-quality applications for multiple grants, helping to accelerate commercialization. We also have first-principles based APS models to include in materials sent to investors looking to perform “due diligence”.
The flexibility of AVEVA Process Simulation allowed us to tailor our models to our proprietary “active material” catalyst, a solid powder that facilitates the reaction. This ability to fine-tune parameters based on real-world experimental data was crucial to achieving accurate heat balance calculations and proving the benefits of the scalability inherent to the OMC process.

Benefits and Value

By leveraging AVEVA software, OMC Thermochemistry is positioning itself at the forefront of industrial decarbonization. The key benefits of using AVEVA Process Simulation include:

Economic Feasibility – We provided quantitative evidence that our green hydrogen and syngas production method is cost-competitive with existing fossil-based alternatives, making it attractive for industrial adoption.
Scalability and Industrial Readiness – Our process design is based on widely used industrial formats, such as fluidized beds, ensuring that it can be readily integrated into existing infrastructure.
Accelerated Commercialization – High-quality technical and economic modeling facilitated by AVEVA software has strengthened our ability to secure funding and advance technology development.
Long-Term Industry Impact – Our approach can serve as a blueprint for future thermochemical hydrogen and syngas production processes. Other companies seeking to model similar non-stoichiometric reactions and customized material flows could benefit from using similar methodologies within AVEVA software.
Our work not only contributes to industrial sustainability but also sets the stage for broader adoption of AVEVA’s simulation tools in green technology development. The ability to accurately model and optimize emerging energy solutions is essential for the global transition to net-zero emissions, and OMC Thermochemistry is proud to be leading the charge with AVEVA’s support.