Hycamite, a leading player in clean energy solutions, has entered into a strategic partnership with Kokkolan Energiaverkostot, a prominent energy provider. Under this collaboration, Kokkolan Energiaverkostot will supply methane to Hycamite's Kokkola plant in Finland, marking a significant step in advancing innovative energy projects in the region.
Hycamite, along with several other major companies based in Kokkola, has established agreements to receive methane from Kokkolan Energiaverkostot. This development signifies a notable transition from the design phase to the construction phase for the Kokkola LNG terminal project.
Prior to this agreement, Hycamite employed biogas to produce hydrogen and industrial carbon from methane in Kokkola. With the newly forged partnership, Hycamite will incorporate both liquid natural gas and biogas into its operations, both of which predominantly consist of methane.
Laura Rahikka, CEO of Hycamite TCD Technologies, explained, “The aim is to ensure that the production in our new large Customer Sample Facility, which will be completed next year, can be kept running even if biogas is not available in sufficient quantities or if our customers want to run tests specifically on natural gas.”
Hycamite specializes in decarbonizing industry by producing emissions-free hydrogen and industrial solid carbon from methane, employing heat and a proprietary family of catalysts developed in-house. This emissions-free hydrogen can serve as a substitute for coal in applications like steel production. Furthermore, the locally produced carbon products can replace high-emission synthetic graphite, reducing reliance on natural graphite, identified as a critical raw material.
Of particular note, when Hycamite utilizes biogas to produce hydrogen, it acts as a carbon sink. In this process, methane in the gas is decomposed, and the captured carbon is converted into a solid form rather than being released into the atmosphere. The resulting solid carbon has various applications, including its use in electric vehicle batteries.
Hycamite's technology also holds promise for removing carbon from methane, a by-product of chemical industry processes.
In Finland, Hycamite primarily aims to produce hydrogen from biogas. However, the company's customers in North America are inclined to use natural gas for hydrogen production due to limited availability of biogas in the region.
The heart of Hycamite's operations, including its headquarters, the current large test facility, and the future Customer Sample Facility, is situated in Kokkola Industrial Park (KIP).
