Natural Gas Pyrolysis (NGP) is emerging as a promising technology for hydrogen production from natural gas (“turquoise hydrogen”) with no direct carbon emissions. In this process natural gas is decomposed at high temperatures in the absence of oxygen to obtain hydrogen and solid carbon. NGP could be competitive against other established methods for low/zero-carbon hydrogen production such as retrofits of Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) with carbon capture and storage (“blue hydrogen”), newly built blue hydrogen of water electrolysis using renewable energy (“green hydrogen”). Nevertheless, its techno-economic viability seems to be strongly dependent on the large amount of solid carbon co-produced.
Different NGP technologies have been developed in the last 30 years based on direct thermal and catalytic cracking using a variety of energy sources and reactor types (plasma, microwave, thermal-catalytic, and liquid metal reactors). While previous studies have compared these technologies based on a few performance indicators, so far, a comprehensive and detailed assessment considering all the relevant metrics is still missing. Such a knowledge gap has prevented a reliable and well-informed assessment of all the established processes for turquoise hydrogen production.
This project aims to fill that gap by evaluating different NGP technology pathways, assessing their carbon intensity through life-cycle analysis, and exploring the linkage between carbon products, hydrogen yield, and efficiency. It will also investigate the conversion of low-value methane pyrolysis carbon into high-value products. By addressing these objectives, the project seeks to enhance the understanding and viability of NGP technologies, supporting the development of efficient and sustainable hydrogen production from natural gas.
Partners: BP Australia Pty Ltd, Curtin University
Project Leader: Dr Arash Arami-Niya
Duration: 9 Months