Green hydrogen production

Abstract

A method for isolating the portion of a chemical product of a chemical reaction produced using energy from renewable sources is described. The chemical reaction requires an energy input derived from r

Description

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the production of chemical products using renewable energy, specifically commodity chemical products that may be used in renewable energy and transport. Background of the Invention In the effort to decarbonise energy systems, countries are turning to renewable energy sources to meet their energy needs. Renewable energy sources are sources that are replenished at a higher rate than they are consumed. For example, renewable energy sources include solar, wind, wave, geothermal, biomass and rainfall. Deployment of renewable energy generation capacity has increased the amount of electricity generated in the UK from renewable sources, reaching 43 % of the total electrical energy provided to the national grid in the first quarter of 2023. However, other areas of energy consumption are more difficult to decarbonise. Transport requires the storage of energy produced from renewable sources in forms that can be accessed locally to power a vehicle. To allow efficient transport the storage system needs to be such that the vehicle can be refuelled on the timescale of minutes, rather than hours. The direction of travel for smaller vehicles is towards battery electric storage. Currently battery electric vehicles have long charge times which makes them unsuitable for a vehicle that is in almost constant use, such as taxis, buses or freight vehicles. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles provide shorter refuelling times and currently have longer ranges than equivalent battery electric vehicles, and some cities are investing in hydrogen fuel cell buses. The demand for green hydrogen for buses in Birmingham, UK, will reach 1 t (1000 kg) / day by 2025 and is expected to increase to 60 t / day by 2050. For a transport system based on hydrogen to decarbonise there is a need for hydrogen that is certifiably produced using renewable energy, that is, energy generated from renewable sources. Hydrogen produced using renewable energy is known as green hydrogen. Green hydrogen is produced in small quantities in the UK, but the UK Government plans to produce 10GW (1.8Mte / year) by 2030. The problem is that the present cost of manufacture is much higher than the target price of £10 / kg for refuelling buses and trucks. This cost prevents decarbonisation of the transport network. However, progress towards producing green hydrogen at lower cost is prevented by the lack of demand for green hydrogen due to the current high costs. Furthermore, the demand curve for green hydrogen is difficult to predict which further discourages the capital investment required to increase the supply of green hydrogen. Similar problems exist for the production of other green commodity chemicals, produced using energy from renewable sources, such as chlorine, sodium hydroxide, oxygen or ammonia. Demand of green commodity chemicals, and in particular of green hydrogen, must match supply if decarbonisation and economic success is to be delivered. There is therefore a need for a system or method of producing green commodity chemicals at low cost and scalable volume that requires minimal initial capital investment. Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a method and apparatus for the production of chemical products using energy from renewable sources, such as green hydrogen. In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for isolating the portion of a chemical product of a chemical reaction produced using energy from renewable sources, wherein the chemical reaction requires an energy input derived from renewable sources, non-renewable sources, or a combination thereof, the method comprising: a) obtaining a total chemical product of the chemical reaction; b) providing (i) the amount of energy input into the chemical reaction derived from renewable sources and (ii) the amount of chemical product produced by the chemical reaction; c) using (i) and (ii) to determine the portion of the total chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources, also referred to herein as the green chemical product; and d) separating the portion of chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources from the total chemical product. In a second aspect, the present invention further provides an apparatus for the production of at least one chemical product, wherein the apparatus comprises: one or more chemical reactor configured to output a chemical product, one or more energy input component configured to input energy to the one or more chemical reactor, one or more separation component configured to receive instructions from a processor and to variably separate the chemical product output of the one or more chemical reactor into at least two portions, and a processing component configured to receive information on the amount of energy input into the chemical reaction derived from renewable sources and the amount of chemical product produced by the chemical reaction, to determine the portion of the chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources, and to instruct the separation component to separate the portion of the chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources from the chemical product output. A green chemical product is one where production releases minimal carbon dioxide equivalents (COj-eq) into the atmosphere. The definition of what level of COz-eq constitutes a green product may be determined by national legislation. Under UK hydrogen standards, a low carbon hydrogen standard, herein referred to as green hydrogen, is applied. Under this standard hydrogen producers meeting the low-carbon hydrogen standard are required, amongst other criteria to meet a green-house gas emissions intensity of 20 gCChe / MJtHv of produced hy drogen or less for the hydrogen to be considered low carbon, wherein greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions up to the point of production are included in the measurement. When assessing these criteria producers must account for the use of electricity using actual data to demonstrate that the hydrogen production facility is operating at the same time as the electricity input source and evidence that the hydrogen producers have exclusive ownership of the electricity used to cover the amount of hydrogen produced. The terms green hydrogen and low-carbon hydrogen are used interchangeably herein. COz-eq is a metric measure used to compare the emissions from various greenhouse gases on the basis of their global-warming potential (GWP), by converting amounts of other gases to the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide with the same global warming potential. As the skilled person would understand, GWP is a term used to describe the relative potency, molecule for molecule, of a greenhouse gas, taking account of how long it remains active in the atmosphere. GWPs are calculated over 100 years and carbon dioxide is taken as the gas of reference and given a 100-year GWP of 1. Carbon dioxide equivalents are commonly expressed as million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents, abbreviated as MMTCDE. The carbon dioxide equivalent for a gas is derived by multiplying the tonnes of the gas by the associated GWP: MMTCDE = (million metric tonnes of a gas) * (GWP of the gas) For example, the GWP for methane is 25 and for nitrous oxide is 298. This means that emissions of 1 million metric tonnes of methane and nitrous oxide respectively is equivalent to emissions of 25 and 298 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide. Beyond the 20 gCO2e / MJLHv requirement, green hydrogen producers are required to use renewable energy to produce the green hydrogen, to prove that the hydrogen is produced whilst the renewable energy is being consumed, and to prove that the energy used is exclusively owned by the producer. The present invention is particularly suited for electrochemical reactions, such as the chloralkali process. Current electrochemical technology utilises polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) to provide high output of hydrogen for the hydrogen economy. The same technology is also widely utilised in the chloralkali industry to electrolyse sodium chloride solutions. Chloralkali processes electrolytically convert brine solutions to caustic solutions, chlorine gas and hydrogen. Two types of electrolytic cells are generally used in commercial chloralkali processes. The first is a diaphragm cell, which typically includes a diaphragm separator that can be asbestos or other inert materials. The second is a membrane cell, which typically includes an ion exchange membrane separator. Hydrogen is traditionally considered a by-product of the process and is burnt to recover energy which is then used to partially power the process. Fluctuation in use shortens the lifespan of the membranes used in these electrochemical reactions. To extend lifespan the membranes need to be in constant and steady use. Electrolysis processes are therefore poorly suited to run solely on renewable energy as it is currently set up, since renewable electricity supply varies with weather conditions and time of day. Non-renewable energy, or a mix of renewable and non-renewable energy is therefore used. Around 400,000 metric tons / a of hydrogen are made in the UK on large electrolyser plants for the chloralkali (CA) market but currently none of this is green as the energy used in the process is non-renewable. By variably separating the total chemical product of any chemical reaction that requires an energy input into a portion corresponding to the amount produced using renewable energy and a portion corresponding to the amount produced using non-renewable energy, the green chemical is isolated and producers can meet the requirements for a green chemical product. The green chemical product can therefore be provided to customers as a 100% green chemical product. This also allows customers to accredit their product, for example their transport system, as decarbonised. Furthermore, the green chemical product can be sold at a price point appropriate for a product prepared only using renewable energy. The present invention allows producers, not able to use renewable energy consistently, to still produce green chemical products when renewable energy is available and according to the energy mix that they are able to access. Additionally, the present invention allows chemical producers to upgrade their facilities to produce green chemical product in increments and as demand increases, allowing for capital investment to be spread over a longer period whilst still meeting demand. The present invention therefore further allows the electrochemical process to be run constantly using a mixture of renewable and non-renewable energy such that the lifetime of the membranes is extended, but also allows the product produced using renewable energy to be separated from the total product, for sale as a green chemical product, such as green hydrogen, green chlorine and / or green caustic solutions in the case of the chloralkali process. Detailed Description of the Invention The present invention provides method for isolating the portion of a chemical product of a chemical reaction produced using energy from renewable sources, wherein the chemical reaction requires an energy input derived from renewable sources, nonrenewable sources, or a combination thereof, the method comprising: a) obtaining a total chemical product of the chemical reaction; b) providing (i) the amount of energy input into the chemical reaction derived from renewable sources and (ii) the amount of chemical product produced by the chemical reaction; c) using (i) and (ii) to determine the portion of the total chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources; and d) separating the portion of chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources from the total chemical product. The method comprises the step of obtaining a total chemical product of the chemical reaction. The chemical reaction may be an electrolysis reaction, a plasma reaction, a sonochemical reaction, a photochemical reaction or a microwave reaction. The chemical reaction may be an electrolysis reaction, such as the chloralkali process or electrolysis of water. The chemical reaction may be the chloralkali process, the Haber-Bosch process, electrochemical ammonia production, electrofuel (synthetic fuel) production, or others. The chemical reaction may be the chloralkali process. The chemical product may be a single chemical produced by the reaction, such as hydrogen produced in the chloralkali process, or it may include two or more products of the chemical reaction such as the hydrogen and chlorine, or the hydrogen and caustic solution, or the hydrogen and chlorine and caustic solution produced by the chloralkali process. The total chemical product is all of the product produced by the reaction. This may be all the chemical product produced over a period of time, possibly in the case of a reaction performed in flow, or all the chemical product produced as a batch, in the case of a batch reaction. The chemical product may be separated such that each individual chemical is pure, or the products may be combined as an output of the reaction. Preferably the chemical product is separated into individual products, such as caustic solution, chlorine and hydrogen from the chloralkali process. The chemical product may be hydrogen, optionally obtained from the chloralkali process. The chemical product may be methane or other synthetic hydrocarbon fuels, optionally obtained using solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC) from the conversion of convert carbon dioxide, water and other reactants at high temperature. The chemical product may be ammonia, optionally obtained from the Haber-Bosch process or an electrochemical process. The chemical product may be caustic solution or chlorine, optionally obtained from the chloralkali process. The energy input is derived from a mix of renewable sources, non-renewable sources, or a combination thereof. The renewable energy sources, such as wind, geothermal, solar, wave or rainfall, may be harvested using wind turbines, solar panels, geothermal generators or heat systems or heat-pump systems, tidal power generation systems, wave energy converters, hydroelectric generators, biomass generators, and combinations thereof. Components used to harvest energy from renewable sources are referred to collectively herein as renewable energy generation capacity. The renewal energy sources may be harvested using wind turbines and solar panels. Wind turbines and solar panels have low installation costs relative to other sources of renewable energy and can be installed on a chemical production site wherever that site is located. Harvesting energy using wind turbines and solar panels in combination may smooth the renewable energy supply to the reaction. This in turn allows green chemical product to be produced more consistently than an equivalent apparatus receiving renewable energy only from one or more wind turbine or only from one or more solar panel. The energy input to the chemical reaction may be electrical energy or heat energy or radiative energy, or a combination thereof. The energy input may comprise energy from renewable sources may be provided via a national electricity grid, or by a private wire system. Renewable energy generation capacity may be installed on-site. Installing renewable energy generation capacity on-site avoids charges and costs associated with transporting electrical energy via the national grid or installing long distance private wiring. By on-site it is meant on the same site that the chemical reaction takes place. When installed on-site, the energy generated by renewable energy generation capacity does not pass through a national energy grid between the generation capacity (e.g. wind turbine or solar panel) and input into the chemical reaction, i.e. it passes only through a private wire system. An on-site installation may be 1 km or less from the location in which the chemical reaction occurs, such as 500 m or less, 400 m or less, or 200 m or less. The energy input may comprise energy generated from renewable energy generation capacity provided through a private wire network. Non-renewable energy sources include gas, coal, oil or nuclear. The energy input may be measured in Watts (W). The method comprises the step of providing (i) the amount of energy input into the chemical reaction derived from renewable sources and (ii) the amount of chemical product produced by the chemical reaction. It may be that the portion of chemical product produced using renewable energy is calculated as a portion of the amount of chemical product produced per unit of energy or a portion of the amount of chemical product per batch of chemical product. It may be that (i) comprises the portion of the total energy input that was produced from renewable sources and (ii) comprises the amount of chemical product produced per energy unit input into the chemical process. The method further comprises the step c) of using (i) and (ii) to determine the portion of total chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources, also referred to herein as the green chemical product. Step c) may be performed by a processing component, such as a processor, and the portion of chemical product produced using renewable energy is output from the processing component to one or more separation component which then separates the green chemical product from the total chemical product. The separation compound may be positioned in the output of the chemical reaction or part of a storage area for the total chemical product. Step c) may determine the portion of total chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources by comparing the amount of energy from renewable sources with a known amount of chemical product produced per unit of energy. Alternatively, determining the portion of total chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources may be achieved by determining the portion of the total energy input derived from renewable sources. Determining the portion of the total energy input produced from renewable sources may comprise measuring the total energy input into the chemical reaction using an electricity or energy meter, and measuring the amount of total energy input that was produced from renewable sources, also done by metering the renewable sources, receiving data from an energy provider, or a combination of both. Preferably, the renewable sources of energy are on-site and amount of total energy input produced from renewable sources is also measured by metering the on-site renewable energy generation. The method comprises the step of the portion of chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources from the total chemical product. For example, if over a set period the portion of the total energy input that was produced from renewable sources amounted to 40% of the total energy input, then 40% of the chemical product produced over that same set period will be separated to form the green chemical product. The set period may be any period. For example, the set period may be 1 second, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 10 minutes, 1 hour, 4 hours or 24 hours. It may be that the portion of the total energy input that was produced from renewable sources is determined in real time, and so the portion of green chemical product may be separated from the total chemical product as the chemical product is produced. Separating the portion of chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources from the total chemical product may be achieved in flow by diverting a portion of the total product equivalent to the portion of total energy input derived from renewable sources from the output of the chemical reaction. Separation in flow may be achieved using a separating component positioned in the output of the reaction. Alternatively, separation may be achieved by taking from a tank storing the total chemical product the portion of chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources and storing it separately from the remainder of the total chemical product. The present invention further provides an apparatus for the production of at least one chemical product, wherein the apparatus comprises: one or more chemical reactor configured to output a chemical product, one or more energy input component configured to input energy to the one or more chemical reactor, one or more separation component configured to receive instructions from a processor and to variably separate the chemical product output of the one or more chemical reactor into at least two portions, and a processing component configured to receive information on the amount of energy input into the chemical reaction derived from renewable sources and the amount of chemical product produced by the chemical reaction, to determine the portion of the total chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources, and to instruct the separation component to separate the portion of the chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources from the chemical product output. The chemical reactor is an enclosed volume in which a chemical reaction takes place. The chemical reactor may be a vat comprising stirring and / or heating equipment. The chemical reactor may have one or more input point through which reagents can be added into the component. The chemical reactor may have one or more output point through which the product of the chemical reaction can be extracted from the chemical reactor. The one or more input point and one or more output point may be the same, such that a chemical reagent is added through the same point that a reaction product is extracted. The chemical reactor may be a batch reactor or a flow reactor, such as a continuous stirred tank reactor, a plug flow reactor or a semi-batch reactor. The chemical reactor may also be an electrolyser, a plasma reactor, a sonochemical reactor, a photochemical reactor, a microwave reactor or a combination thereof. The chemical reactor may be an electrolyser. The chemical reactor may be configured for electrolysis or photochemistry or a combination thereof. A chemical reactor configured for electrolysis comprises an anode and a cathode. A chemical reactor configured for electrolysis may further comprise an electrolyte. A chemical reactor configured for electrolysis may also comprise a membrane positioned between the anode and the cathode, such as an ion-selective membrane. The one or more energy input component into the reaction may be an electrical, thermal or radiative component or a combination thereof. The energy input component may comprise a connection to a national electricity grid, or a direct connection (i.e. via a private wire system) to energy generation components, or a combination thereof. The energy generation component may be renewable energy generation capacity. The energy input component into the reaction may comprise or consist of an electrical component, such as an anode and cathode arrangement. The electrical energy input component may comprise an electrical connection to a national electricity grid, or a direct connection (i.e. via a private wire system) to energy generation components, or to a combination thereof. The one or more energy input component may comprise or consist of a thermal energy input component, such as an electrically powered heating coil, or a heat exchanger. The one or more energy input component may comprise or consist of a radiative energy input component, such as a light source equipped with a diffraction grating and a monochromator or an LED arrangement. The separation component may be positioned downstream from the output of the chemical reactor. The separation component may be located on-site, that is, on the same site as the chemical reactor. For example, the on-site separation component may be located a distance of 1 km or less from the chemical reactor, such as located within 500 m or less, 400 m or less, or 200 m or less. The on-site separation component may be directly connected downstream from the output of the chemical reactor such that the chemical product is conveyed through pipes from the output of the chemical reactor to the separation component. The separation component may be any component suitable for variably separating at least one product of the chemical reaction into two portions, a green portion produced using renewable energy and the remainder portion produced using non-renewable energy. For example, the separation component may comprise a pipe defining two channels, such as a T-junction or some other arrangement wherein the output of the chemical reactor may pass down two channels. In this arrangement, the first channel leads to a collection vessel for the green production portion and the second channel leads to a collection vessel for the remaining portion, i.e. that portion of the product produced using non-renewable energy. The pipe may be equipped with a first actuatable valve positioned to variably control the flow' through the first channel of the separation component. The valve may be any valve suitable for variably restricting the flow of product along the pipe. The valve may be a ball valve, a butterfly valve, a knife gate valve, a globe valve, a needle valve, a pinch valve, or a plug valve. The skilled person will be able to select the appropriate valve type for the product of the chemical reaction that is to be divided into a green portion and the remainder. The valve may be actuatable by any appropriate system, such as by an electric motor, by a hydraulic system, by a solenoid or by a pneumatic system. The valve may be actuated remotely to restrict the flow down one of the channels according to instructions received from the processor. A second actuatable valve may also be present to control flow' through the second channel of the separation component. The second actuatable valve may be actuatable by any appropriate actuation system, such as by an electric motor, by a hydraulic system, by a solenoid or by a pneumatic system and may be actuated remotely to restrict the flow down one of the channels according to instructions received from the processor. The second actuatable valve may be the same as the first actuatable valve. The separation component may be a single actuatable valve configured to variably direct the product of the reaction into two separate channels according to the amount of product produced using renewable energy, wherein the first channel may direct the product to a collection vessel for the green chemical product, and the second channel may direct the remaining product to a collection vessel or allow it to continue on the traditional path for the chemical reaction. The amount directed to each collection vessel would be determined by the processor according to the amount of product produced using renewable energy. The collection vessel may be a tube trailer truck for shipping the product to a customer. The apparatus may further comprise a first collection vessel and a second collection vessel, wherein the total chemical product is directed from the chemical reactor to the first collection vessel. The separation component may be positioned downstream of the first collection vessel and up-stream of the second collection vessel. The separation component may be a remotely actuatable valve that allows the portion of the total chemical product produced using renewable energy to pass through the separation component and into the second collection vessel. The apparatus comprises a processing component. The processing component is configured to receive information on the amount of energy input into the chemical reaction derived from renewable sources and the amount of chemical product produced by the chemical reaction. The processing component is also configured to determine the portion of the total chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources, also referred to as the green chemical product. The processing component may be a processor. The processing component may be further configured to receive information on the total energy input into the reaction, or the amount of energy input derived from non-renewable sources, or a combination thereof. This information may also be used, along with information on the amount of energy input into the chemical reaction derived from renewable sources to determine the portion of the total chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources. The processing component is also configured to instruct the separation component to separate the portion of the chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources from the chemical product output. The processor may be remote from the separation component and may communicate with the separation component remotely. The processing component is configured to receive information regarding the amount of chemical product produced by the chemical reaction. The apparatus may therefore further comprise a monitoring component configured to determine the amount of chemical product produced by a chemical reaction and to communicate this information to the processor. The amount of product produced by the reaction may be determined per batch if the chemical reactor is a batch reactor or over a specified time if the chemical reactor is a flow reactor. The processing component may be configured to receive information regarding the total amount of energy input to the chemical reaction. The apparatus may therefore further comprise a total metering component configured to determine the total amount of energy input to the chemical reaction and to communicate this information to the processor. The total metering component may be an electricity meter or an energy meter. The total amount of energy input into the chemical reaction may be determined per batch if the chemical reactor is a batch reactor or over a specified time if the chemical reactor is a flow reactor. The total metering component may be configured to communicate this information to the processor. The processing component may be configured to receive information regarding the amount of renewable energy input to the chemical reaction. The apparatus may therefore further comprise a renewable metering component configured to determine the amount of renewable energy input to the chemical reaction and to communicate this information to the processor. The renewable metering component may be an electricity meter or an energy meter. The amount of renewable energy input into the chemical reaction may be determined per batch if the chemical reactor is a batch reactor or over a specified time if the chemical reactor is a flow reactor. The renewable metering component may be configured to communicate this information to the processor. Alternatively, information on the amount of renewable energy may be provided by an external source. For example, the energy provider may provide this information, which can be input into the processor by the user or through some other suitable interface. Communication between the processing component and the monitoring and metering components may be remote communication. Remote communication can be via an internet connection, an ethernet connection, radio waves, or any other suitable means of remote communication. Using metering and monitoring components, the apparatus and / or processor may be configured to determine in real time the portion of the total energy input produced from renewable sources, and so the portion of chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources can be separated from the total chemical product as the product is produced, rather than waiting for information from energy suppliers. The processing component may also be configured to receive information input by a user. For example, a user may be able to communicate to the processor the amount of chemical product produced, the total amount of energy used and the amount of renewable energy used. This information can be provided for a per time-period or perbatch of product, whichever is appropriate for the chemical reactor of the apparatus. The processing component can then determine the amount of chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources and instruct the separation component to divide the total product into a portion produced using energy from renewable sources and a remainder portion. Renewable energy may be delivered through a national energy grid or through private wire system, or further energy transport means as part of an energy mix. The apparatus may further comprise renewable energy generation capacity. The renewable energy generation component may be on-site. The renewable energy generation component may be one or more wind turbines, one or more solar panels, one or more geothermal generators, one or more hydroelectric generators, one or more wave energy converters, one or more biomass generators, or a combination thereof. Preferably, the renewable energy generation component may be one or more wind turbines, one or more solar panels or a combination thereof. The combination of one or more wind turbines and one or more solar panels may smooth the renewable energy supply to the apparatus. This in turn allows green chemical product to be produced more consistently than an equivalent apparatus receiving renewable energy only from one or more wind turbine or only from one or more solar panel. The chemical reactor, the renewable energy generation capacity and the separation component may not be on-site (i.e. not on the same site as one another). The chemical reactor, the renewable energy generation capacity and the separation component may be remote from one another. For example, the energy generated is conveyed between the renewable energy generation capacity and the chemical reactor by vehicle or by national grid, or the chemical product is conveyed between the chemical reactor and the separation component by vehicle. Preferably, the chemical reactor, the energy input, the renewable energy generation capacity and the separation component may be on-site (i.e. on the same site as each other). The chemical reactor, the energy input, the renewable energy generation capacity and the separation component may be an integrated assembly, such that the chemical reactor, the energy input, the renewable energy generation capacity and the separation component are in permanent, physical communication with at least one other component of the apparatus. In the case of the renewable energy generation capacity, physical communication includes via a private wire system. The processing component may be remote from the other components of the apparatus. By locating the chemical reactor, the energy input, the renewable energy generation capacity and the separation component may be on-site, and / or in an integrated assembly, production can be made more economic than when the components are remote from one another. Where renewable energy generation capacity is present, the energy input comprises an energy transfer connection, such as an electrical connection, to the renewable energy generation capacity. Theoretical Example A chloralkali plant manufacturing 50te / day of coproduct hydrogen has no renewable electricity resources and the installation of new green electrolyser equipment running on grid power leads to a green hydrogen cost of about £12 / kg, which is well above the target price of £5 / kg required to make green hydrogen fuel costs equivalent to or cheaper than natural gas or diesel. Additionally, installing new membrane electrolysers to make 100MW of product would require large capital investment with little confidence in growth of the green hydrogen market. Therefore, a new approach is needed. The demand for green hydrogen for buses in Birmingham is known to be lOOOkg / day by 2025. A 5MW wind turbine and 5MW solar farm built on or next to the electrolyser building could be installed in 12 months and connected to the existing electrolyser with a feed-in power measurement to log the renewable electricity input, about 2% of the total production. 2% of the total production, or 1000 kg / day, can be separated from the total production as green hydrogen, an amount sufficient to satisfy the Birmingham hydrogen bus demand in 2025. The capital cost of the renewable power installation is near £10M and there are additional costs of purification, compression, storage and shipping. However, the revenue is £4M / a suggesting a payback time of 3 years and a levelised cost of green hydrogen near £5 / kg which can beat natural gas and diesel at current prices. In 2030, the green hydrogen demand for buses in Birmingham should rise to 2000 or 5 even 4000 kg / day. A 5MW wind turbine and 5MW solar farm built on or next to the electrolyser building could be installed in 12 months and connected to the existing electrolyser with a feed-in power measurement to log the green electricity input. A further 2% to 4% of the total production of the coproduct hydrogen can therefore be separated from the total product as green hydrogen to meet the increased demand from 10 the buses in Birmingham. The rise in the green hydrogen market by 2050 is not easy to predict, but further 10MW green wind / solar units can be added regularly to gradually increase the proportion of green hydrogen product for growing demand customers, especially as hydrogen bus 15 procurement proceeds after 2030. In this way, steadily increasing demand can be met with minimal and incremental capital investment.

Claims

1. A method for isolating the portion of a chemical product of a chemical reaction produced using energy from renewable sources, wherein the chemical reaction requires an energy input derived from renewable sources, non-renewable sources, or a combination thereof, the method comprising:a) obtaining a total chemical product of the chemical reaction;b) providing (i) the amount of energy input into the chemical reaction derived from renewable sources and (ii) the amount of chemical product produced by the chemical reaction;c) using (i) and (ii) to determine the portion of the total chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources; andd) separating the portion of chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources from the total chemical product.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the chemical reaction is an electrolysis reaction.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the chemical reaction is the chloralkali process.

4. The method any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the energy input is electricalenergy.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the chemical product is hydrogen, chlorine, caustic solution, or ammonia.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the energy input comprises energy generated from renewable energy generation capacity provided through a private wire network.

7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein step c) is performed by a processing component and the portion of chemical product produced using renewable energy is output from the processing component to one or more separation component which then separates the green chemical product from the total chemical product.

8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the portion of chemical product produced using renewable energy is calculated as a portion of the amount of chemical product produced per unit of energy or a portion of the amount of chemical product per batch of chemical product.

9. An apparatus for the production of at least one chemical product, wherein the apparatus comprises:one or more chemical reactor configured to output a chemical product,one or more energy input component configured to input energy to the one or more chemical reactor,one or more separation component configured to receive instructions from a processor and to variably separate the chemical product output of the one or more chemical reactor into at least two portions, anda processing component configured to receive information on the amount of energy input into the chemical reaction derived from renewable sources and the amount of chemical product produced by the chemical reaction, to determine the portion of the chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources, and to instruct the separation component to separate the portion of the chemical product produced using energy from renewable sources from the chemical product output.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus further comprises renewable energy generation capacity and wherein the energy input component comprises an energy transfer connection to the renewable energy generation capacity, optionally via a private wire system.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the renewable energy generation capacity may comprise one or more wind turbines, one or more solar panels, or a combination thereof.

12. The apparatus of any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the energy input component is an electrical energy input component, a thermal energy input component or a radiative energy input component.

13. The apparatus of any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the separation component comprises one or more actuatable valve and one or more actuation system configured to actuate the one or more valve upon instruction from the processor.5 14. The apparatus of any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the separation componentis positioned downstream of the chemical reactor.

15. The apparatus of any one of claims 9 to 15, wherein the chemical reactor is configured for electrolysis or photochemistry or a combination thereof.

016. The apparatus of any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the chemical reactor, the energy input component, the renewable energy generation capacity and the separation component form an on-site, integrated assembly.