What isturquoise hydrogen?
Turquoise hydrogen uses a process called methane pyrolysis, which directly splits methane – the main component in natural gas – into hydrogen and solid carbon. Also called ‘carbon black’, this byproduct has a variety of industrial applications, including in the production of car tires, coatings, plastics and batteries, and is considered a critical raw material.
Methane splitting is not a new concept, and a few commercial-scale plants already exist in North America. Countries including Australia, Russia and some European nations are also working on scaling the technology.
The process uses natural gas purely as a feedstock, with all energy for heating and splitting methane coming from electricity. So if the electricity is sourced from renewable energy, the whole process is basically carbon neutral.
Carbon-free hydrogen synthesis uses renewable electricity