Thiozen pilot successfully produces zero-emission H2 from sour gas waste streams
Thiozen announced the success of an in-field pilot unit in the Permian Basin, the first-ever demonstration of a process to simultaneously de-sour natural gas and produce clean H2 for use by the energy industry.
"Throughout history, humans have made H2 from either fossil fuels or water – until now," said Ryan Gillis, co-founder and President at Thiozen. "We are proud to provide an entirely new method of producing H2 – one that will revolutionize the energy industry and spur the modern H2 economy."
For the pilot, Thiozen partnered with A.C.T. Operating Company, a leading oil and gas production operation based in Texas, to install its proprietary technology at a gas-gathering site in the Permian Basin. The effort successfully de-soured (removed) H2 sulfide from the sour natural gas streams while simultaneously generating zero-emission H2.
"Sour gas processing is a major cost associated with energy supply, and both removing the H2 sulfide and producing a new energy stream in H2 gas is a major step-up in our industry," said Marshall Watson, President of A.C.T. Operating Company and Department Chair of Petroleum Engineering at Texas Tech University.
H2 is essential to producing fuels and chemicals, but its production is polluting and carbon-intensive, generating approximately 2% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. H2 demand is dominated by large cost-sensitive commodity chemical manufacturers, who are facing an increased need for H2 to raise profits and meet environmental standards.
"The energy industry has been seeking better H2 production methods for decades; Thiozen finally did it," said Maureen Stancik Boyce, Ph.D. Managing Partner at Good Growth Capital. "This is the first time a technology has produced zero-emission H2 from sour gas waste streams, and achieving a new pathway that gives the energy industry the low-cost, low-emission H2 production method it needs."
Rising regulatory and societal pressure is currently limiting the construction of additional carbon-intensive H2 production infrastructure, placing further pressure on manufacturers.
"We're thrilled with the success of this pilot project, and we are excited to accelerate the commercialization of this breakthrough technology for producing zero-emission H2," said Gillis. "We believe our proprietary solution can transform the energy industry by helping it meet two over-arching goals: energy security and decarbonization."
"This pilot affirms the key material and energy balances of the Thiozen system for processing raw sour gas in the field," said Boyce. "This is truly a transformational moment for the energy industry."
Comments