Finnish tech firm partners with MOL to work on methane splitting for shipping sector

Finnish technology company Hycamite TCD Technologies, MOL PLUS, a subsidiary of Japanese shipping major Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), and MOLEA, MOL’s London-based business, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote the application of methane splitting for the shipping sector.

As informed, the partners will collaborate on the implementation of methane splitting for power generation and propulsion onboard marine vessels. Through this project, Hycamite, MOL PLUS, and MOLEA aim to accelerate their efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the shipping sector.

Specifically, the collaboration will focus on investigating the possibilities of developing and applying Hycamite’s technology in marine applications. With Hycamite’s technology, ships powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) can convert methane into hydrogen as they sail, and the solid carbon can be offloaded at the port of destination.

Hycamite plans to start operations in early 2025 at its recently completed first industrial-scale methane splitting plant in Kokkola, Finland.

“We are excited to partner with MOLEA and MOL PLUS to drive innovation in maritime decarbonization. Hycamite has been working on the marine application through the development program partly financed by Business Finland since 2022 and as we are starting the operations of our industrial-scale demonstration facility, we expect to gain a steep development in the understanding of the possibilities that our technology can bring. Our technology focuses on decarbonizing some of the most hard-to-abate sectors in the world and marine traffic is one of those,” said Laura Rahikka, CEO at Hycamite.

“Through collaboration with MOLEA, MOL PLUS, and their global technical teams, we can accelerate the development and promotion of the onboard methane-splitting application.”

Hycamite has developed several families of catalysts that, compared to other methane pyrolysis processes, work at lower temperatures and increase the quality of the solid carbon obtained from methane splitting.

After the methane molecule has been split, the carbon is immediately collected in a solid form. Due to the absence of oxygen in the process, no carbon dioxide can form, thereby preventing any leakage into the atmosphere.

Under the MoU, Hycamite will collaborate with MOLEA and MOL PLUS to further develop its onboard methane splitting technology.

To remind, in 2022, the Finnish company entered into a joint development agreement with compatriot technology group Wärtsilä to develop “cost-effective production” of hydrogen from liquefied natural gas (LNG) onboard marine vessels. The concept will allow the existing LNG infrastructure to be utilized and enable the production of hydrogen onboard in combination with Wärtsilä’s LNGPac fuel gas supply system.