TOMSK, September 14. /TASS/. A mobile hydrogen generator converting natural gas into hydrogen and carbon under the effect of microwave discharge plasma has been developed by Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) scientists. According to the agreement between the university, Gazprom Transgaz Tomsk and the Research Institute of Natural Gases and Gas Technologies - Gazprom VNIIGAZ, the equipment will be handed over to Gazprom VNIIGAZ for industrial use and scaling by the end of the year, the press service of TPU said on Wednesday.

The agreement was signed by General Director of Gazprom Transgaz Tomsk LLC Vladislav Borodin, Deputy General Director for Long-term Development of Gazprom VNIIGAZ LLC Leonty Eder and TPU Vice Rector for Science and Technology Transfer Leonid Sukhikh.

"One of TPU's strategic bids iwithin the framework of the Priority 2030 program is devoted to the energy of the future. And one of the most important projects that we are carrying out commissioned by our industrial partner is the development of a prototype plasma-chemical system for the conversion of natural gas into hydrogen and carbon when exposed to microwave discharge plasma. <...> The peculiarity of the technology is that natural gas is simultaneously a plasma-forming gas. Therefore, the microwave discharge in the reaction process is maintained independently - without additional gases and discharge initiators," noted Leonid Sukhikh, TPU Vice Rector for Science and Technology Transfer.

The system will produce hydrogen and fine-dispersed carbon. Carbon can be used in many areas including the electrical and chemical industries, energy and metallurgy.

"<...> The development has a broad potential of application at gas transmission system facilities, as well as the places of consumption of methane-hydrogen fuel, hydrogen and electricity generation using renewable energy sources," Gazprom Transgaz Tomsk General Director Vladislav Borodin said.

The system has no analogues in Russia and will be handed over to Gazprom VNIIGAZ for pilot operation and further scaling by the end of 2022.