Pacific Northwest utility NW Natural will partner with Modern Electron, a sustainable heat and power technology firm, to form a project to create clean hydrogen using natural gas and then blending it with the firm’s existing natural gas distribution network.
The firms will use concurrent combustion methane pyrolysis, a technology which will use natural gas and air to produce clean hydrogen and solid carbon without the use of electricity, water or any consumable catalyst.
The hydrogen will be used for heating in industrial, commercial and residential spaces while the solid carbon will be used to make products, like automobile tires, asphalt, construction material and soil amendments. Hydrogen does not emit carbon dioxide when combusted.
Kim Heiting, senior vice president of operations at Oregon-based NW Natural, said that the technology can enable clean hydrogen production at a low cost whenever and wherever needed.
This pilot project is expected to begin in early 2023. Modern Electron has a pipeline of gas utility installations to be undertaken and this project with NW Natural is its first among the planned installations.
Mothusi Pahl, Vice President of Business Development and Government Affairs, added, “The fastest and most economical way to reduce CO2 emissions at a national scale is to effectively leverage existing infrastructure. By decarbonizing natural gas at the point of use, our Modern Hydrogen products help businesses reduce their carbon footprints without the cost and complexity of changing their processes. We are all about decarbonization. And we are excited about our partnership with NW Natural,”
