Ekona Completes NRCan-supported Pre-FEED Study for Commercial Clean Hydrogen and Carbon Production
We recently submitted our final report to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) for a project focused on advancing the commercial deployment of Ekona's methane pyrolysis technology. Supported by NRCan and Alberta Innovates, the project helped establish the engineering and economic foundation for future commercial facilities producing clean hydrogen, clean carbon black, and syngas from natural gas.
Pre-FEED Study and Commercial Design Basis
The project advanced Ekona's methane pyrolysis technology through a pre-Front-end Engineering Design (pre-FEED) study and Class 4 cost estimate, supporting Canada's efforts to develop low-GHG-emissions, cost-competitive hydrogen production. Using operational and modelling data from the company's Gen1 and Gen2 reactor programs, Ekona evaluated multiple commercial product configurations and established a design basis for future deployment.
As part of the work, Ekona completed concept-selection studies and pre-FEED engineering for a 20-tonne-per-day clean hydrogen production facility. We also developed preliminary design packages for a clean carbon black demonstration plant, a commercial-scale clean carbon black production facility, and a syngas production plant, helping to identify practical pathways for commercialization across multiple markets.
The project also supported construction and testing of Ekona's Gen2 reactor, enabling us to evaluate performance data, select a preferred methane pyrolysis operating configuration, and refine our scale-up strategy. This effort confirmed an appropriate reactor pathway for continued development while advancing the engineering studies required to support commercial deployment.
Pilot Plant Results Informing Commercial Deployment
The project builds on the foundation established at Ekona's Burnaby Pilot Plant, where we’ve developed and tested our methane pyrolysis technology at a scale of 200 kilograms of clean hydrogen per day. The facility has generated critical operating data to support reactor development, process integration, and commercial scale-up.
With the project now complete, Ekona is advancing the engineering deliverables required to initiate FEED while pursuing commercial deployment opportunities with strategic partners and customers. We continue to optimize our technology platform to develop commercial-ready clean hydrogen and clean carbon black solutions that leverage existing natural gas infrastructure to support industrial decarbonization.
Download the full project report here.
