Ekona Power secures $1M from NRCan’s to decarbonize hydrogen production in the energy sector and heavy industry

Ekona Power at Burnaby facility announced a $1M investment to decarbonize hydrogen production in the energy sector and heavy industry. This funding will support xCaliber™ reactor testing and the expansion of Burnaby Pilot Plant —a 200-kilogram-per-day clean hydrogen production testing facility.

Our pilot plant, along with the commissioning and deployment of our first clean hydrogen production plant with ARC Resources, moves us closer to commercial deployment

Before brief remarks from Wilkinson and Chris Reid, we toured our visitors through the reactor bay and site to highlight what we’ve been working on as we expand our pilot plant. This expansion includes integrating the xCaliber™ reactor with the industry-standard balance of plant equipment for carbon handling, hydrogen purification, compression, and thermal energy recovery. Utilizing industry-standard equipment simplifies process integration, mitigates development risk, and makes Ekona’s solution a scalable, low-cost solution, easy to deploy wherever natural gas infrastructure exists.

The truth is Canada’s natural gas resources and infrastructure are critical for meeting tomorrow’s net-zero targets. Ekona’s methane pyrolysis platform unlocks natural gas’ potential for clean hydrogen production without the need for carbon dioxide sequestration.

Interest in clean hydrogen has been increasing over the last few years and Canada has announced over 80 low-carbon hydrogen production projects since 2020, representing more than five million tonnes of hydrogen production capacity. Several provinces, including British Columbia, now have hydrogen strategies too, signalling hydrogen’s important role on the path to net zero.

Wilkinson described the steps Canada is taking to maintain its position as a clean energy supplier of choice, noting that “investing in innovations such as Ekona’s provides opportunities to advance Canada’s hydrogen value chain, create jobs, and seize the economic opportunity of growing global demand for hydrogen.

We have developed a viable and near-term solution for using hydrocarbons in cleaner, better ways. NRCan has been an active supporter of Ekona and our technology vision since 2020 and we are grateful for this new investment and for the ongoing belief and support in our work to decarbonize hydrogen production in the energy sector and heavy industry.