Thiozen, the first company ever to produce clean hydrogen from “sour gas” waste streams, announces total of $3.2M in funding

Producing hydrogen from ‘sour gas’ waste streams for Emissions Reduction Alberta,
Alberta Innovates

Thiozen, the first company ever to produce clean hydrogen from “sour gas” waste streams, today announced it has received a total of $3.2M in funding for a clean hydrogen project in Alberta, Canada. Administered by Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) and Alberta Innovates, the funding is part of an overall $57 million commitment by the Government of Alberta to support 28 projects that advance the hydrogen economy, reduce emissions, and create jobs in Alberta.

Projects cover the spectrum of hydrogen production, storage, transmission, distribution, and usage. The Thiozen project will produce zero-emission hydrogen, which will be used to decarbonize onsite operations as a way of addressing one of the energy industry’s leading challenges: finding economically viable ways to decarbonize remote industrial locations.

“The Government of Alberta recognizes that sour gas processing is a major cost associated with energy supply, and appreciates both the economic and environmental value of removing the hydrogen sulfide and producing a new energy stream in hydrogen,” said Ryan Gillis, co-founder and President at Thiozen. “We’re honored to be selected to participate in this project and to help Alberta leverage an entirely new method of producing hydrogen.”

Thiozen will use ERA funding to install its proprietary technology at a gas processing site in Alberta. The Thiozen platform will facilitate the “de-souring” – or removal – of hydrogen sulfide from the sour natural gas streams while simultaneously generating zero-emission hydrogen.

“Hydrogen has the potential to transform global energy markets and to create trillions of dollars of economic activity,” said Nate Glubish, Minister of Technology and Innovation with ERA. “Alberta’s government is committed to investing in new technologies to develop a hydrogen market and to ensure that Alberta is the Hydrogen capital of Canada. These investments will help to grow and diversify our economy and secure our future as a global energy powerhouse for generations to come.”

If successful, the eight projects funded through ERA’s Accelerating Hydrogen Challenge are expected to deliver annual greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions of 13 thousand tonnes, cumulative reductions of 81 thousand tonnes by 2030, and 493 thousand tonnes by 2050.

“Thiozen’s selection by the Government of Alberta reflects the urgency of finding efficient decarbonization strategies for some of Canada’s most important industries,” said Gillis. “This is truly a transformational moment for Canada’s hydrogen economy and for the energy industry as a whole.”

About Thiozen’s Breakthrough Hydrogen Production Technology
Thiozen’s patented chemical cycle produces hydrogen from hydrogen sulfide – the “sour gas” waste stream – thereby replacing traditional hydrogen production. This process will dramatically reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the technology will improve air quality and respiratory health in communities near current hydrogen infrastructure while providing cost-sensitive firms a path to both procuring additional hydrogen and lowering the carbon intensity of their products.

About Thiozen
Thiozen is an MIT spinout and the first-ever company to commercialize a process that can produce hydrogen from sour gas waste streams. By developing a low-cost, low-emission method of producing hydrogen, Thiozen helps meet the energy industry’s growing demand for clean, affordable hydrogen. Thiozen recently validated its technology in an in-field pilot unit in the Permian Basin. The 3-year-old company has headquarters in Pasadena, CA.