Australian firms team up to produce turquoise hydrogen
Australian companies Synergen Met and Pure Hydrogen have agreed terms for creating a 50:50 joint venture to produce so-called turquoise hydrogen from natural gas.
Pure Hydrogen, recently formed from the merger of Real Energy and Strata-X Energy, is sitting on 11.1 trillion ft3 of methane resources in Queensland in Australia and Botswana, some of which could be converted to hydrogen energy using Synergen Met's proprietary plasma pyrolysis modular design technology. The process is emissions-free if powered with renewable energy, and also produces solid carbon, which can be used to manufacture other industrial commodities.
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Under the first stage of their collaboration, Pure Hydrogen and Synergen Met will build a prototype, shipping container-sized pyrolysis module capable of producing around 1,400 kg of hydrogen and 4,200 kg of carbon in a day. The second stage will see them produce synthetic graphite, graphene flakes and/or carbon nanotubes from the carbon, adding further value.
"This is a very promising commercial development for Pure Hydrogen and for Synergen as we are combining proven technology with a methane resource to produce hydrogen and solid carbon products, which potentially adds another valuable revenue stream to Pure Hydrogen's business and an existing technology angle to Pure's strategy," Pure Hydrogen managing director Scott Brown said.
The modules, housed in standard 12-metre shipping containers, can be made fully operational very quickly, Pure Hydrogen said, and can be delivered and installed almost anywhere there is enough methane supply. The two partners will need to sign off on the module design and formalise agreements for the first unit, expected online in the second half of next year.
This unit will be positioned next to Pure Hydrogen's 100%-owned Venus coal seam gas pilot project in Queensland.