Mitsubishi invests in clean hydrogen tech co

11 Feb 2021 Editorial Team

This decarbonisation technology allows industrial natural gas consumers to avoid producing carbon dioxide in applications like electrical generation, process heating and the production of commodity chemicals like hydrogen and ammonia. The investment has been executed through Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc.

C-Zeros technology uses thermocatalysis to split methane, the primary molecule in natural gas into hydrogen and solid carbon in a process known as methane pyrolysis. The hydrogen can be used to help decarbonise a wide array of existing applications, including hydrogen production for fuel cell vehicles, while the carbon can be permanently sequestered. When renewable natural gas is used as the feedstock, C-Zero's technology can even be carbon negative, effectively extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and permanently storing it in the form of high-density solid carbon.

MHI joins a consortium of investors, including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Eni Next and AP Ventures. The investment signals cooperation around accelerating the use of "turquoise hydrogen," which could strengthen the hydrogen value chain. Hydrogen produced via methane pyrolysis processes like C-Zero's is increasingly being referred to as "turquoise hydrogen," as it combines the benefits of both "blue hydrogen," (SMR with CO2 sequestration) and "green hydrogen" (produced by splitting water via electrolysis) by being low cost and low emissions, respectively.

According to the company news release, MHI will further examine the potential of using the company's technology for the production and supply of hydrogen that could then be utilised for power generation systems.

Written from a company news release.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd (MHI) announced yesterday that it has invested in C-Zero, a hard tech startup to accelerate the first commercial scale deployment of C-Zero's drop-in decarbonisation technology. This decarbonisation technology allows industrial natural gas consumers to avoid producing carbon dioxide in applications like electrical generation, process heating and the production of commodity chemicals like hydrogen and ammonia. The investment has been executed through Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc. C-Zeros technology uses thermocatalysis to split methane, the primary molecule in natural gas into hydrogen and solid carbon in a process known as methane pyrolysis. The hydrogen can be used to help decarbonise a wide array of existing applications, including hydrogen production for fuel cell vehicles, while the carbon can be permanently sequestered. When renewable natural gas is used as the feedstock, C-Zero's technology can even be carbon negative, effectively extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and permanently storing it in the form of high-density solid carbon. MHI joins a consortium of investors, including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Eni Next and AP Ventures. The investment signals cooperation around accelerating the use of turquoise hydrogen, which could strengthen the hydrogen value chain. Hydrogen produced via methane pyrolysis processes like C-Zero's is increasingly being referred to as turquoise hydrogen, as it combines the benefits of both blue hydrogen, (SMR with CO2 sequestration) and green hydrogen (produced by splitting water via electrolysis) by being low cost and low emissions, respectively. According to the company news release, MHI will further examine the potential of using the company's technology for the production and supply of hydrogen that could then be utilised for power generation systems. Written from a company news release.