Here Is the Cheapest – and Greenest – Hydrogen Ever Produced!

A researcher affiliated with the University of Alberta established a startup to commercialize a groundbreaking technology she developed, that offers the cheapest and greenest hydrogen solution the Canadian province could possibly invest in – for a more sustainable source of energy.

“Our process uses 80% less electricity than green hydrogen, and the modeling work we’re doing is showing that we have a lower greenhouse gas footprint than any other form of hydrogen production in most jurisdictions,” says Erin Bobicki, a mineral processing researcher specialized in the process of extracting valuable minerals and metals for ores, who established the Aurora Hydrogen startup.

The technology she developed uses microwaves to create hydrogen. Methane is heated and turns into hydrogen and solid carbon. And because the carbon produced does not become a greenhouse gas, Bobicki’s technique emits fewer emissions than the greenest hydrogen-producing processes already in place. According to the scientist and businesswoman, the demand for hydrogen will most likely skyrocket from $190 billion to $2.5 trillion over the next 30 years. “Electrification is going to dominate in many areas for decarbonization, but hydrogen is a really nice fit where a chemical fuel is required.”