C-Zero Develops Carbon-Free Hydrogen from Natural Gas

American startup C-Zero has developed a technology to decarbonize natural gas through a methane pyrolysis process. It splits methane into hydrogen and carbon using high temperatures by moving it through a mixture of molten salts. C-Zero claims that the hydrogen produced can be used to decarbonize various industries including electric generation, ammonia production, fuel cell vehicles, and process heating. Nature of Disruption: C-Zero’s methane pyrolysis technology leverages thermocatalysis to extract the carbon in natural gas as a dense solid. Its chemical catalyst separates hydrogen gas from other particles, separating solid carbon waste. The startup boasts that the technique is cleaner than current low-cost hydrogen manufacturing technologies, even though it is neither waste-free nor renewable. It also claims to be less expensive than other environmentally friendly hydrogen production methods. According to the startup, this process uses 7.5 times less energy to produce hydrogen than electrolysis. C-Zero is also working on a drop-in decarbonization system where the C-Zero reactor could be installed between existing natural gas pipeline feeds and power plants for users that want to reduce their CO2 emissions. The startup has planned to complete its pilot project by the end of 2022 and it could seemingly let the startup produce about 250 kg/d of hydrogen. C-Zero also plans to develop its first commercial unit, capable of producing about 6,000 kg/d, after successful commissioning of the pilot project. Outlook: C-Zero plans to compete with blue and green hydrogen solutions using its methane pyrolysis process that makes renewable hydrogen using electricity. It aims to reduce CO2 emissions from hydrogen production while still using natural gas. The startup has raised an $11.5M Series A round led by Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Eni Next, the venture investing arm of Italian oil company Eni. Its investors also include AP Ventures and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries investing in a high-profile project aimed at creating a hydrogen hub for the Western US. The startup has also received $3M through two grants from the US Department of Energy, and a $350,000 project with California utilities Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Gas to test certain elements of its pyrolysis reactor design. It intends to use the investments to fund its pilot-scale production facility.