After being no more than a sketch on a napkin in 2021, Edmonton-based Aurora Hydrogen has come a long way fast developing its microwave-based methane pyrolysis technology.

In the fourth quarter of last year, the company announced it had achieved Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7 — a near-final, full-scale prototype that reflects proposed end-users’ actual operational environment — at its pilot plant in Fort Saskatchewan.

To learn more about Aurora and its emerging technology, including key drivers for its success to date, major advantages of its technology over the competition, and final steps towards commercialization, DOB Energy interviewed Murray Thomson, the company’s co-founder and chief science officer.

Key drivers

Key drivers for Aurora’s rapid progress towards commercialization of its microwave-based methane pyrolysis technology include the high-quality of its team, the proven, off-the-shelf components for its plant (to be discussed in the next section), the company’s ability to attract both private and government funding, and government support more generally, according to Thomson.

“Aurora has built and led a multidisciplinary team, with world-leading experts in methane pyrolysis, microwave technology, industrial hardware and more, to design, construct, commission, and operate a pilot plant producing clean hydrogen and sustainable solid carbon,” he said.

In addition, “we have been fortunate at Aurora to raise an initial Series A of US$10 million and effectively doubled that capital through non-dilutive funding from across Canada, including the federal government and of course the Government of Alberta,” Thomson added. “This support enabled the successful deployment of our pilot plant.”

The Series A funding round — the first significant, round of venture capital financing, after the initial seed stage — in August 2022 was led by Orinda, California-based Energy Innovation Capital, with participation from energy companies Williams, Shell Ventures and Chevron Technology Ventures, amongst others.

Government-oriented funding includes: $3.9 million from Sustainable Development Technology Canada and $2 million from Alberta Innovates in February 2023; and $3 million from Natural Resources Canada and over $1 million from the NGIF Accelerator, a non-for-profit affiliate of the Canadian Gas Association, in early 2024.

“As we move toward commercialization, capital will remain a key requirement, and we are eager to continue partnering with government agencies committed to bringing emerging energy technologies to market,” Thompson said. In addition, “we are actively introducing a new strategic investor to the company while continuing to launch fundraising initiatives.”

“Beyond funding, areas of meaningful government support include permitting facilitation, workforce training and development, and access to subject-matter expert advisory resources,” he added. “ERA [Emissions Reduction Alberta] and Alberta Innovates have been excellent in supporting this.”

The Aurora advantage

Aurora’s microwave-based methane pyrolysis technology has several major advantages over other clean hydrogen pathways, including relatively low cost compared to carbon intensity of the hydrogen it produces, and advantages over other methane pyrolysis technologies as well, according to Thomson.

In terms of cost versus carbon content, the hydrogen Aurora’s reactor produces has relatively low capex and opex compared to both green and blue hydrogen, with its carbon emission reduction potential falling in between the two — assuming 100 per cent renewable energy for electrolysis (see Figure 1, see below).

A key reason for this, as well as its relatively low opex compared to other methane pyrolysis technologies, is the use of microwaves to break methane molecules into their component parts provides high energy efficiency. For example, Aurora’s reactor uses 80 per cent less electricity per kilogram of hydrogen produced than electrolysis.

“At a high level, the advantage of using microwaves directly is that they provide true volumetric heating, rather than relying on heat transfer through a surface,” Thomson said. “That means we’re directly heating the material we care about, not the reactor shell, which significantly improves efficiency and control. Direct use of microwaves also allow us to ramp temperatures very quickly, giving us fast start-up and responsive operation. The generators themselves are highly efficient.”

In addition, Aurora production plants are designed to meet industrial demands at the point of use, can be scaled up or down based on project and site requirements, and are constructed in a modular fashion to allow for quick and easy deployment on site. This is because the modules are preassembled in a controlled shop environment, minimally disassembled for transportation, then delivered directly to a project site for reassembly.

Another major advantage of Aurora’s methane pyrolysis technology, as suggested in the previous section, is key components for its plants — fluidized bed reactors and industrial microwave generators — are industrially proven at scale, enabling cost-effective hydrogen production at low scale while providing a clear scale-up path to meet large industrial hydrogen demands.

“For organizations looking to adopt clean hydrogen and curb emissions immediately, a system that uses proven technology instead of custom parts will increase deployment efficiency, lower risks and avoid supply delays,” Thomson added.

The carbon advantage

At the same time, the size of the solid carbon Aurora’s microwave-based, non-catalytic technology produces is relatively large, allowing it to overcome potential carbon-related hurdles other methane pyrolysis technologies must overcome.

Most methane pyrolysis technologies decompose methane directly, creating hydrogen and carbon dust, commonly known as carbon soot or carbon black, with the fine carbon particles prone to build on the walls of the reactor and foul catalysts, when catalysts are used. In addition, markets for carbon black, such as rubber goods and specialty plastics, are financially attractive but niche, and could become saturated with widespread adoption of methane pyrolysis. This ultimately puts the internal rate of return (IRR) of these projects at risk.

In contrast, “at Aurora we are producing more of a calcined petcoke than anything else,” Thomson said.

In Aurora’s reactor, smaller carbon particles act as the heat source, growing into sand-sized carbon particles as methane decomposes on the surface and then removed on a continuous basis, preventing carbon from building on the reactor’s walls.

“And importantly, because our process doesn’t rely on catalysts, the solid carbon we produce is a pure carbon product rather than a contaminated by-product,” Thomson added.

“Calcined petcoke is often upgraded into graphite products and other high value materials, but it also can be utilized in a variety of mass-market applications, such as steelmaking and aluminum production, construction materials, and earthworks,” he said. “We are fortunate with our patented microwave process that we are able to support solid carbon needs across both deep and valuable markets based on the carbon we produce.”

Road to commercialization

“We are working diligently toward TRL 8 [the end of the ‘system development’ phase] and are actively advancing commercial deployment projects [the final level, TRL 9] targeting 2027, but timelines remain dynamic,” Thomson said. “Our priority is getting the technology right first. We are moving quickly, but with discipline, ensuring that commercial deployments occur when the solution is ready to reliably support our customers and deliver long-term reliable value.”

To do so, Aurora is preforming optimization work to increase continuous production and runtime at its Fort Saskatchewan pilot plant, which is also serving as its demonstration plant, to achieve TRL 8, and further validating its deep and valuable carbon co-product markets through trials, according to Thomson.

In terms of commercial projects, “our current project portfolio is primarily focused on North America for the first wave of deployments,” he said. “We are prioritizing near-term, profitable opportunities aligned with existing markets, applications, and demonstrated customer willingness to pay where the Aurora unit provides an immediate cost savings opportunity.”

“Our focus spans chemicals, steelmaking, refining, petrochemicals, transportation, and clean fuels, among other sectors,” he added. “We look forward to sharing additional details as projects reach FID and confidentiality constraints are lifted.”

Since Aurora is planning to customize the size of its commercial units to the needs of its clients, Thompson foresees capacity of the first commercial units falling between 200 and 2,000 kilograms of hydrogen per day — and three times as much solid carbon.