NGIF Funds Methane-to-Hydrogen Tech

NGIF Accelerator, the non-profit arm of venture capital firm NGIF Capital, has announced around $645,000 (CAD 872,000) in funding for New Wave Hydrogen, Inc., which aims to reform natural gas for hydrogen production.

The funding is provided through NGIF’s Industry Grants program, the company said in a news release Tuesday.

Calgary-based New Wave’s objective is to develop a new energy paradigm that provides low-cost, low-emission hydrogen, resulting in rapid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions, according to the release. New Wave’s technological process directly cracks methane into hydrogen and carbon black with no direct GHG emissions, utilizing shockwave and compression heating as the primary energy sources.

New Wave’s approach requires no water, generates no carbon dioxide, is scalable, and is low-cost for both distributed and centralized production. The technology’s ability to integrate into existing plants and lines will help accelerate low-cost hydrogen production, NGIF noted.

The current program includes bench-to-field demonstration tests, carbon research and development, and commercialization roadmap development, according to the release.

“New Wave Hydrogen’s technology offers near-term, financially feasible low-cost hydrogen production,” John Adams, President and CEO of NGIF Accelerator and Managing Partner of NGIF Cleantech Ventures, said. “Our Industry Grants program and its focus on de-risking clean technologies through field trials and pilots are part of NGIF’s integrated model of industry validation, customer creation, and technology commercialization”.

“We are honored to be a part of the NGIF Accelerator’s Industry Grants program and to have the support of their outstanding industry members,” New Wave Hydrogen CEO Kathleen O’Neil said. “The vision and benefits of this program offer a vital lifeline to new technologies. NGIF is also unique in that it focuses on and enables the important connections between industry end-users and emerging technologies. NGIF Accelerator and its programs create a strong platform that is designed to accelerate the path to commercialization”.

“Canadians want and need the affordable, reliable, clean energy service offering they have come to expect from the natural gas industry. When we created NGIF, it was our vision to bring the entire natural gas value chain together to support cleantech development that enhances environmental and economic performance for the sector”, Timothy Egan, Canadian Gas Association President and CEO and NGIF Capital Corporation Chair, said. “I am glad to see our vision in action as NGIF continues to support technologies like New Wave’s supersonic compression technology”.

Funding for New RNG Tech

In March, NGIF announced a grant of $222,000 (CAD 300,000) to G4 Insights Inc. for advancing the development and commercialization of their proprietary PyroCatalytic Hydrogenation (PCH) technology, which converts forestry and agricultural crop waste into renewable natural gas (RNG) with an 80 percent lower carbon intensity than conventional natural gas.

G4’s PCH technology enables cost-effective, large-scale RNG generation from lignocellulosic biomass, or plant dry matter, allowing distribution in forestry zones and delivery to consumers using existing natural gas pipelines. The G4 RNG is compatible with all unmodified natural gas devices, including appliances, cars, industrial operations, and power generators, according to an earlier news release.

The project’s goal is to validate the design for scaling up the PCH reactor for a commercial RNG plant. It will include the detailed design, construction, and testing of a PCH reactor that can process one metric ton of biomass per day. NGIF said the results will be used in the design of a commercial RNG plant with a capacity of 450 gigajoules per day, with plans for the subsequent deployment of a larger plant of 10,000 gigajoules per day.

“We are excited to continue to support G4’s PCH reactor scale-up validation project,” Adams said. “This is our second project with the team, and through NGIF funding, they have been able to derisk their technology. The project will play a key role in the advancement of RNG technology”.

“Our Industry Grants program and its focus on de-risking clean technologies through field trials and pilots are part of NGIF’s integrated model of industry validation, customer creation, and technology commercialization”, he added.

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