A novel methane pyrolysis platform using established energy infrastructure
Ekona’s methane pyrolysis platform is a practical, rapid-to-deploy solution for industries working to meet growing global demand for clean hydrogen and carbon black, decarbonized natural gas, and greenhouse gas reductions at the scale and timing necessary to combat climate change. We’re bringing carbon and greenhouse gas management back down to earth.
Deploy the EkonaTM methane pyrolysis solution wherever there’s natural gas infrastructure
Scalable
The xCaliberTM Process
At the heart of the Ekona™ solution is the xCaliber reactor, a novel methane pyrolysis platform that uses combustion to convert natural gas into hydrogen and solid carbon.
Preheated feedstock natural gas feeds into the reactor chamber where combustion products are also injected to create energy for the pyrolysis reaction. Products from the reactor discharge to downstream purification equipment for the delivery of two co-products, hydrogen and carbon black.
Ekona’s methane pyrolysis process uses industry standard balance of plant (BOP) equipment for carbon handling, hydrogen purification, compression, and thermal energy recovery, simplifying process integration and mitigating development risk.
Ekona’s Value Proposition
EKONA HYDROGEN
Produces low-emission hydrogen, aligning with climate goals and regulations.
Leverages co-product carbon black and proven infrastructure for cost-effective deployment.
Scalable
Rapidly deployable at industrial scale wherever natural gas exists, compatible with current assets.
Supplies clean hydrogen across sectors – power, mobility, chemicals, and refining – without needing new pipelines, water, or renewables.
EKONA CARBON
Clean
Delivers carbon black with significantly lower emissions, meeting sustainability and regulatory demands.
Attractive economics enhanced by co-product hydrogen.
Scalable
Easily integrates into current or new facilities, ready for tire, rubber, plastics, and advanced materials.
Serves diverse markets – from tires to asphalt to water purification – and supports decarbonization via hydrogen co-product.
Work on our Gen2 Burnaby Pilot is underway and will help us validate performance metrics as we work to demonstrate readiness for commercial deployment. This pilot focuses on:
- Increase capacity to 500 kilograms per day of hydrogen and 1,500 kg per day of carbon black
- Reactor performance and efficiency under sustained operation
- Expansion of our carbon handling systems for larger capacity and continuous operation
- Ongoing evaluation of carbon black quality and yield
- Hydrogen-rich syngas production and composition
Clean carbon black production is central to Ekona’s strategy. This pilot includes a state-of-the-art carbon test facility and integrated handling systems for continuous commercial-grade output. We’ve already assembled the Gen2 reactor and will integrate balance of plant and carbon handling systems as we prepare for commissioning.
In 2025, we officially completed our Gen1 Burnaby Pilot project, a 200-kilogram-per-day hydrogen production platform located at our facility. The project delivered valuable technical results and insights, achieved strong hydrogen production yields, and produced carbon black of various commercial grades. It also shaped the design of Ekona’s second-generation xCaliber reactor.
Burnaby Pilot Expansion
Commercial-ready platform • Customer validation
Early Commercial Programs
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