Researchers at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering are working with climate technology company Mote to convert campus biomass waste into hydrogen fuel while capturing and storing carbon dioxide, according to information published in the UCLA Samueli Newsroom.
The 18-month pilot project, which began in April, is testing a biomass gasification system designed to reduce waste, produce clean energy and remove carbon. The technology could process around seven tonnes of waste generated on the UCLA campus daily, including food waste and plant trimmings.
The team estimates that the hydrogen produced could meet about 2% of the university’s electricity requirements or provide on-demand power during peak periods for several hundred hours annually. Alternatively, the fuel could support around 100 hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Led by Dante Simonetti, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at UCLA Samueli, the research team aims to produce high-purity hydrogen rather than syngas. The researchers say this could offer greater flexibility for applications such as fuel cells, hydrogen vehicles and industrial use.
The process also aims to capture carbon dioxide generated during gasification before it enters the atmosphere, potentially enabling carbon removal alongside hydrogen production.
The project combines Mote’s gasification technology with UCLA Samueli’s expertise in catalytic processes, systems engineering and sustainability research. Mote has developed a technology to produce hydrogen and remove carbon from woody biomass, including urban green waste and residues from wildfire-prevention activities in California.
Simonetti said the partnership would allow students and researchers to work on practical applications of emerging clean-energy technologies while advancing methods to convert waste into useful energy.
He will lead research into feedstock characteristics, process optimisation and overall system performance. The project will also provide undergraduate and graduate students with hands-on experience in decarbonisation technologies.
The pilot is scheduled to continue until September 2027, with a possible extension. Mote has committed $100,000 to support stipends, tuition and research supplies for two chemical engineering graduate students at UCLA Samueli.
Mote CEO and co-founder Joshuah Stolaroff said the collaboration would help the company refine and scale its bioenergy and carbon-removal technology by combining its platform with UCLA’s research capabilities.
The team is also working with UCLA Sustainability and campus and local partners to align the project with the university’s long-term sustainability objectives. Researchers believe the technology could eventually offer a model for reducing waste, replacing fossil fuel-based energy and supporting clean transportation at other institutions.
