The problem

Hydrogen is one of the most critical resources for global industry. It is primarily used today in fertiliser production and petroleum refining, with emerging use cases to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors.

The problem is the carbon impact of producing hydrogen, which currently contributes 900 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere every year, comparable to the emissions of the entire aviation industry. 

Green hydrogen production has come into focus in recent years, but current methods are highly energy intensive. The most common method is electrochemical water splitting, or water electrolysis, a technology that's been known about since the 1800s but has notable shortcomings. The reason? Splitting water requires huge amounts of energy, driving 70% of the cost of hydrogen and wasting energy creating oxygen in the process, which often is just vented away.

The solution

Ki Hydrogen has developed a solution that produces green hydrogen from waste biomass via a direct electrolysis process. This method is not only more cost competitive (around $2/kg), it requires 50% less energy than compared to the emerging green hydrogen production processes like water electrolysis.

The process takes waste biomass—such as paper, wood, or from the brewing process—and via an electrolysis process, converts it not only into green hydrogen but several useful chemical co-products that open up alternative revenue streams. 

Why we’re excited to invest

Louis Warner, partner at G-Force, says: “The world already produces over 95 million tonnes of hydrogen a year as a crucial industrial chemical used to produce fertiliser, textiles and plastics. The current carbon impact of this $160bn market is enormous. In Ki-Hydrogen, we have partnered with the best team we could find who are working on a realistic path to cost competitive green hydrogen. We are  honoured to play a small part in this exciting journey and mission!”