NW Natural, Oregon's largest gas utility, and Kokkola, Finland-based Hycamite TCD Technologies have signed a letter of intent to explore applications for Hycamite's novel methane pyrolysis technology to produce and distribute clean H₂.

Within NW Natural's service territory, large natural gas customers could develop facilities that use Hycamite's novel methane-splitting technology to deliver low-carbon (turquoise) H₂ to supplement or replace natural gas usage. Hycamite would install, commission, operate and maintain the methane pyrolysis units while NW Natural would deliver the natural gas feedstock used to produce H₂.

"We want to help a variety of industrial customers to decarbonize their production cost-efficiently, and we are ready to scale up the production in North America swiftly," said Hycamite CEO Laura Rahikka. "We look forward to working with NW Natural to develop opportunities with the utility and its largest natural gas customers."

Low carbon fuels such as clean H₂ play an essential role in NW Natural's long-term decarbonization plans. "We're excited about the potential to lower emissions with clean H₂, and we look forward to exploring opportunities for Hycamite's technology to help deliver carbon reductions for us and our customers," said Chris Kroeker, NW Natural's business development lead for H₂ and carbon capture.