Advancing methane-splitting for marine vessels

A ship faded out in the background with the logos of the three entities in the foreground.

The collaboration will focus on investigating the possibilities of developing and applying Hycamite’s technology in marine applications. (Image source: Hycamite)

Hycamite TCD Technologies, a deep-tech company, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with two subsidiaries of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, in order to promote the application of methane-splitting for power generation and propulsion onboard marine vessels
Hycamite breaks down methane molecules into clean hydrogen and solid, high-value carbon products using heat and its proprietary zero-emission technology. All of its products have a low carbon footprint and the company can tailor its high-value carbon products to customer needs and produce them in industrial quantities.
The two entities of Mitsui include MOL PLUS, an investor in early- and middle-stage startup companies that have the potential to reform ocean shipping, and MOLEA, a London-based company that is committed to offering customers across Europe and Africa high value-added services. Together, the three will aim to speed up efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the shipping sector with Hycamite starting operations at its recently-completed industrial methane-splitting plant in Kokkola, Finland, in early 2025.
“We are excited to partner with MOLEA and MOL PLUS to drive innovation in maritime decarbonisation. Hycamite has been working on the marine application through the development programme 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 decarbonising some of the most hard-to-abate sectors in the world and marine traffic is one of those,” remarked 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 will collaborate with MOLEA and MOL PLUS to further develop its methane-splitting technology and the three will focus on investing the possibilities of developing and applying it in marine applications. They have a shared vision that, with the technology, LNG-fuelled ships can convert methane into hydrogen as they sail and the solid carbon can be offloaded at port of destination.