Hycamite inaugurates largest hydrogen production facility in Kokkola, Finland

Finnish company Hycamite TCD Technologies has inaugurated its hydrogen production facility in the Kokkola industrial area, which stands as the largest of its kind in Europe. Hycamite uses a self-developed method to extract hydrogen from methane using heat and catalysts. A key advantage of this process is that it generates hydrogen without releasing greenhouse gases during production.

While similar facilities exist, they operate using different techniques. Hycamite’s process requires significantly less energy compared to the most well-known method of hydrogen production, which involves electrolysis that splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.

The newly launched facility serves as a proof of concept for this innovative hydrogen production technology and its economic viability. Looking ahead, Hycamite plans to open several more hydrogen production plants worldwide based on this same technology, according to CEO Laura Rahikka. The company has previously announced plans to supply a similar facility to the United States.

Hycamite’s method disassembles methane into its elemental components—hydrogen and carbon. The carbon produced is solid and can be utilized, for instance, as graphite in electric vehicle batteries and other industrial carbon products. The Kokkola facility is capable of producing 2,000 tons of hydrogen and 6,000 tons of carbon annually. If hydrogen is produced using biomethane instead of fossil methane, it could result in a carbon sink, making the hydrogen carbon-negative.

Further details will be provided later in the afternoon.