Building Tomorrow: Ekona’s 2025 Highlights
2025 was a year we faced tough challenges, achieved some remarkable results, and learned a few lessons along the way. All of which sets the stage for what comes next.
At Ekona™, we’re transforming how industry produces hydrogen and carbon black. Whether it’s clean hydrogen for industrial decarbonization or clean carbon black for tires, rubbers, and plastics, we’re mission-focused on developing a cost-effective, near-term pathway to reduce emissions in industrial operations and products. We like to say that doing world-changing hard tech isn’t for the faint of heart. And last year was no exception!
Completing our Gen1 xCaliber™ Reactor Pilot
This year, we officially completed our Gen1 Burnaby Pilot project, a 200-kilogram-per-day hydrogen production platform located at our Burnaby facility. The project delivered valuable technical results and insights: we achieved strong hydrogen production yields and produced carbon black of various commercial grades. The Gen1 pilot has shaped the design of our second-generation xCaliber reactor, which we’re building for scalability, reliability, and increased efficiency to enable us to hit key performance targets for field deployment.
Many thanks to everyone who supported this program over time, including Alberta Innovates, the Government of British Columbia, CRIN (Clean Resource Innovation Network), Emissions Reduction Alberta, NGIF (Natural Gas Innovation Fund), Natural Resources Canada, NorthX Climate Tech, NRC (National Research Council), and NRC-IRAP (NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program).
Advancing our Gen2 and Carbon Programs
Work on the Gen2 Burnaby Pilot is well underway. It will help us validate performance metrics as we work to demonstrate readiness for commercial deployment. The pilot program will focus on:
- Reactor efficiency and stability under sustained operation
- Expansion of our carbon program, including the integration of carbon handling systems for downstream processes
- Carbon black quality and yield
- Hydrogen-rich syngas production and composition
Clean carbon black production is central to our strategy. The Gen2 Burnaby Pilot will validate continuous production and includes a state-of-the-art carbon test facility and integrated handling systems for commercial-grade output. We’ve already begun assembling the Gen2 reactor and will integrate balance of plant and carbon handling systems in the new year in preparation for commissioning in the first quarter.
Partnering with Toho Gas
In October, we announced a collaboration with Toho Gas, a leading Japanese utility company (read more). Toho Gas, together with partner, Mitsui, is undertaking a methane pyrolysis demonstration project that leverages Ekona’s xCaliber reactor technology to produce clean hydrogen and clean carbon black from feedstock city gas. It’s a partnership focused on finding new ways to cut emissions in tough sectors, evaluating distributed hydrogen solutions to benefit Japanese industry. The collaboration demonstrates confidence in our technology and is a model for how innovation and strategic partnerships can accelerate progress toward national energy and climate goals in Japan and elsewhere.
Planning Ahead
Behind the scenes, 2025 was a year of intense design work. Our team invested countless hours in reactor simulations, process modeling, and component design to develop Ekona’s next generation technology. These efforts don’t always get attention, but they’re the backbone of innovation and progress and our 2026 priorities are clear:
- Commission and scale the Gen2 pilot
- Advance our carbon programs and deepen engagement with carbon-black producers
- Advance our clean hydrogen solution with natural gas utilities for early commercialization
- Advance clean hydrogen programs and expand collaboration with natural gas utilities to support decarbonization pathways and early market adoption.
- Continue building strategic partnerships to fund and accelerate deployment
These initiatives will not only demonstrate technical capability but also reinforce Ekona’s role in enabling a low-carbon future.
Recognizing We Can’t Do This Alone
None of this would happen without the dedication and creativity of our team and the trust of our partners. The past year has been demanding, but it’s clarified our direction and makes us stronger as we head into 2026. We’re grateful, optimistic, and committed to delivering decarbonization solutions for energy, manufacturing, and carbon black producers working to meet evolving sustainability and customer demands.
Thank you for your interest and support and stay tuned for updates! Sign up for our newsletter here, and follow us on LinkedIn here.
