A Vancouver-based clean energy company is focused on producing low-cost, low-carbon hydrogen through a novel methane pyrolysis technology.
Ekona Power’s proprietary pulsed methane pyrolysis platform uses combustion and high-speed gas dynamics to convert natural gas into hydrogen and solid carbon, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90% compared to traditional steam methane reforming.
And, unlike other methods, Ekona’s process doesn’t rely on carbon capture and storage, clean electricity, or water feedstock, making it scalable and deployable wherever natural gas infrastructure exists.
The B.C. firm is targeting decarbonization efforts across industries like refining, steel production, power generation, and natural gas transmission.
Ekona’s solid carbon byproduct represents a revenue stream that strengthens the economics of its hydrogen production platform, according to the company, and also provides an opportunity to lower the GHG intensity of solid carbon production, providing economic and environmental benefits for markets where carbon can be utilized.
Carbon black is a fine black powder that consists of extremely small particles that form chain-like clusters with a high surface area to volume ratio. This structure gives it useful properties: lightweight, resistant to heat, excellent at absorbing UV light and conducting electricity, and won’t dissolve in water. When mixed with other materials like rubber or plastic, carbon black acts as a reinforcing agent.
As a result, the byproduct has several real-world uses, particular in tire manufacturing, as well as in plastics, batteries, and asphalt.
To advance its technology, Ekona has recently been expanding its presence in Canada, particularly Alberta, where it has constructed a clean hydrogen field demonstration at ARC Resources’ Gold Creek Natural Gas Plant near Grande Prairie.
The company has also established a provincial base at the Energy Transition Centre in downtown Calgary as it seeks to deepen its footprint in the region.
The continued expansion into Alberta and beyond is powered by a deep pool of capital—in 2022, Ekona secured a $79 million Series A round.
Since then, the cleantech has garnered federal fundraising from the Energy Innovation Program’s Clean Fuels and Industrial Fuel Switching initiative as well as provincial funding via the B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy.
Founded in 2017, Ekona has made the Foresight 50 every year since the list’s launch in 2021.
“We were humbled, once again, to make the Foresight 50 list, which recognizes Canada’s most investible cleantech venture,” the company stated online earlier this year. Ekona also earned a Global Clean Tech Challenge award from NGIF around the same time.
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