PyroGenesis Canada Inc. (TSX:PYR, NASDAQ:PYR) said it has successfully produced hydrogen from methane, using its patented zero carbon emission (ZCE) hydrogen production process.
PyroGenesis said its plasma-based hydrogen production process converts methane into a valuable solid carbon and hydrogen, thereby creating a ZCE hydrogen.
Methane is a greenhouse gas with a high global warming potential, which is approximately 25 times worse than carbon dioxide (CO2) in terms of its greenhouse effect, according to the Environmental Protection Agency in the US.
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The solid carbon is a by-product that has many industrial applications, including the production of car tires, coatings, plastics, and batteries, and is considered an essential raw material. The hydrogen generated by any methane process that is driven by heat produced with electricity, rather than combustion of fossil fuels, is typically referred to as “turquoise" hydrogen, the Montreal-based company said.
PyroGenesis CTO Pierre Carabin said this is a tremendous achievement for PyroGenesis, and another testament to the company’s 25-plus years of expertise in plasma-based processes.
“The conventional ZCE process – water electrolysis – is extremely expensive, requires a lot of energy and uses rare earth materials. As such, our announcement today is of great significance to the industry as a whole, as it is a significant step towards economically producing environmentally friendly hydrogen,” Carabin said in a statement.
Carabin noted that the demand for hydrogen reached an estimated 87 million metric tons (mt) in 2020 and is expected to grow to 500 to 680 million mt by 2050.
“Hydrogen supply is now a major business worldwide and we are on our way to positioning PyroGenesis to play an important role in the movement towards a sustainable and net-zero world. The next step is to convert this bench test into a pilot unit which would demonstrate the reliability, efficiency, and consistency of the hydrogen and solid carbon produced,” he said.
Industry is the primary user of hydrogen, and is dominated by chemical, oil refining, ammonia production, methanol production and steel production, such as direct reduction iron. Today, about 10 million tons of hydrogen are already used in Europe, mainly as raw material for ammonia production and in the refining industry, according to PyroGenesis.
About 95% of the hydrogen produced today – called “grey" hydrogen – is produced by the conventional method called "steam methane reforming", which generates high CO2 emissions, and has a negative impact on the climate. According to the company, almost 10 kg of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere for every one kg of grey hydrogen produced.
PyroGenesis CEO P Peter Pascali said water electrolysis has been around for many years and is considered to be a ZCE technology as well.
“The hydrogen generated from this process is generally referred to as green hydrogen, however it is recognized to be expensive, require a lot of energy for its production, and uses rare earth materials. PyroGenesis’ new technology is geared to combine the best of both worlds; it is expected to be cheaper than most existing hydrogen processes while at the same time producing ZCE hydrogen,” Pascali said in a statement.
PyroGenesis said its plasma-based hydrogen production could become a solution and alternative to the carbon-intensive hydrogen production technologies currently being used. If so, it could be instrumental in economically enabling the chemical industry to decarbonize production of chemicals such as ammonia or methanol.
PyroGenesis also said its process is expected to be cheaper than most existing hydrogen processes while being one of the most energy efficient technologies for producing ZCE hydrogen.
Also, the company said it does not expect that this new process would compete with its plasma torches, which are intended as a replacement for polluting fossil fuel burners in industrial furnaces across heavy industry. Rather, the company said this new hydrogen producing technology using plasma complements in its plasma torch offerings by providing an affordable ZCE option for hydrogen required elsewhere in the manufacturing sector.
Contact the author at susie@proactiveinvestors.com