German chemical company BASF and U.S. energy major ExxonMobil have signed a joint development agreement to co-develop methane pyrolysis technology for low-emission hydrogen.
As disclosed, the companies plan to construct and operate a demonstration plant capable of producing up to 2,000 tons of low-carbon emission hydrogen and 6,000 tons of solid carbon product annually. The facility, which will be located at ExxonMobil’s Baytown Complex , is expected to serve as a critical step toward commercial readiness and help validate the technology at scale.
Mike Zamora, President of ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company, stated: “This collaboration combines technological innovations and industrial expertise of ExxonMobil and BASF to accelerate the development of low-emission hydrogen. Methane pyrolysis holds real potential, especially in regions where traditional carbon capture and storage solutions are less viable. ExxonMobil brings decades of deep technical knowledge in methane pyrolysis and a shared commitment to innovation.”
It is understood that methane pyrolysis uses electricity to convert natural gas or other gases, such as bio-methane, into hydrogen and solid carbon. According to BASF, the technology offers several advantages: it does not generate process-related CO2 emissions, requires approximately five times less electrical energy than water electrolysis, and does not require the use of water. Moreover, it is said to leverage existing natural gas infrastructure and, therefore, is deployable in different locations.
Reportedly, BASF has been developing methane pyrolysis technology over the past several years in a project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR).
Stephan Kothrade, Member of the Board of Executive Directors and Chief Technology Officer at BASF, commented: “This novel methane pyrolysis technology generates competitive low-emission hydrogen and has a high potential for further reduction of the carbon footprint of our product portfolio. In line with our Winning Ways strategy, it will contribute to our ambition to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers’ green transformation. We have been working on this technology for more than a decade and developed a superior reactor concept that we successfully validated at our test plant in Ludwigshafen. By combining BASF’s process innovation with ExxonMobil’s scale-up expertise we are bringing this cost-efficient low-emission hydrogen solution closer to economically viable industrial deployment.”