Finland-based Hycamite TCD Technologies said Thursday it has opened Europe’s largest methane-splitting plant in Kokkola, Finland.

The demonstration plant uses methane pyrolysis to produce hydrogen and solid carbon. Once fully operational, it is expected to produce 2,000 tonnes/year of low-carbon hydrogen and 6,000 t/y of high-quality carbon, Kallanish understands.

“Hycamite’s CSF [customer sample facility] demonstrates the viability of the new methane-splitting technology,” says company ceo Laura Rahikka. “Hycamite will open several other methane-splitting plants in other parts of the world in the future.”

The company claims its technology needs only 13% of the energy needed to produce hydrogen through electrolysis. Using methane as a feedstock also allows production to scale up rapidly, it adds.

With its proprietary carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technology, Hycamite captures carbon in solid form. This will then be supplied to customers as graphite and other industrial-quality products.

The construction of the facility started in January this year, after securing the necessary permits from the authorities. It stayed on track to open the facility by autumn, as announced previously. The company’s next plants are set to be built in the US.

Hycamite is a deep-tech firm that develops methane-splitting technology to produce turquoise hydrogen. Last year, the Finnish company raised €25 million ($28m) from Sojitz Group, Stephen Industries, the Finnish Climate Fund, HAI Kapital, Holdix, and Turret to support its methane pyrolysis technology. Japanese conglomerate Sojitz also acquired an exclusive licence to use Hycamite’s technology in Japan.