University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources researchers have published the first comprehensive review of integrating wastewater treatment with hydrocarbon reforming for hydrogen production, appearing in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. The study demonstrates that combining these two traditionally separate processes allows industries to recycle waste heat and repurpose wastewater as a feedstock, making hydrogen production more efficient while reducing industrial waste. The research identifies three wastewater sources particularly abundant in Wyoming — oilfield-produced water, geothermal wastewater, and mining drainage — positioning the state at the intersection of water conservation and hydrogen economy development.
Researchers at the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER) published an article exploring the potential of wastewater usage for the hydrogen economy.
The paper, titled “Advancing hydrogen production: A comprehensive review of wastewater reforming techniques, feedstocks and opportunities,” published in the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, provides the first comprehensive review of integrating wastewater treatment with hydrocarbon reforming.
Robert Cincotta, an assistant research professional in SER’s Hydrogen Energy Research Center (H2ERC), served as lead author of the article along with Charles Nye, senior research professional in H2ERC, and Xiaokun Yang, assistant program director in charge of the Inorganic Isotopes and Actinide Chemistry Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
“Despite the clear opportunities, the integration of reforming and wastewater has remained largely unexamined,” Cincotta says. “This new publication serves as an accessible resource that systematically catalogs catalytic reforming techniques and analyzes how common wastewater contaminants affect catalyst performance and longevity.”
The study also identifies three specific wastewater sources that are all abundant in Wyoming. By leveraging the massive volumes of water generated during oil and gas extraction, researchers can use oilfield-produced water as a viable feedstock. Similarly, geothermal wastewater offers the advantage of using natural thermal energy to drive the chemical reactions necessary for hydrogen production. Finally, mining and mineral processing drainage offers dual benefits by neutralizing hazardous contaminants and converting them into usable, high-value fuel.
“These wastewaters have typically been a disposal burden to Wyoming companies,” Nye says. “Since we need more water in the arid western U.S., it makes sense to clean up this water so it can be used in industrial, agricultural and other energy settings. By converting this disposal burden into a clean water benefit, we can boost water resources and support new hydrogen industries -- fertilizer, mine-blasting agents, synthetic fuels and other important chemicals."
To download the article, visit https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2025.116680, or to learn more about the active project, visit the H2ERC website.