Hycamite TCD Technologies has inaugurated its advanced methane splitting plant for low-carbon hydrogen production near its headquarters in Kokkola, southwest Finland. The facility, named the Customer Sample Facility (CSF), is positioned as Europe’s largest plant of its kind.
Utilizing Hycamite’s proprietary methane pyrolysis technology, the CSF decomposes methane into hydrogen and carbon without emitting greenhouse gases. This innovative process consumes only 13% of the energy required for hydrogen production via electrolysis.
The plant’s use of methane feedstock—sourced from natural gas, biomethane, or synthetic natural gas—allows for rapid scalability of production. According to CEO Laura Rahikka, the CSF validates the effectiveness of this new technology, with plans to establish additional methane splitting facilities worldwide in the future.
Hycamite’s technology also includes a novel carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) system, which transforms captured carbon into solid forms like graphite. This low-carbon graphite is expected to substitute conventional synthetic graphite, with significant applications in electric vehicle batteries, a sector with high graphite demand.
Located within the Kokkola Industrial Park (KIP), home to northern Europe’s largest inorganic chemical industry ecosystem, the CSF aims to achieve a nominal capacity of 2,000 tons of low-carbon hydrogen and 6,000 tons of high-quality carbon annually. When utilizing liquefied natural gas (LNG), the plant’s decarbonization potential reaches up to 18,000 tons of CO2 per year. Additionally, hydrogen produced with biomethane is considered carbon negative.
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