My Clean Break column today takes a closer look at a New Brunswick, Canada-based company called Atlantic Hydrogen Inc., which has developed a plasma system that extracts hydrogen and carbon out of a natural gas stream. The hydrogen is then reinjected back into the natural gas — representing up to 20 per cent of its volume — leading to a 7 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide and dramatic reduction in nitrogen oxides when the gas is burned as a fuel for vehicles or in a turbine for power generation. The carbon that is extracted is collected in the form of a black dust — a highly pure form of carbon black that has potential for use in making carbon composites for vehicles parts and other applications. It could also be used to make inks, tires, paints, etc…. and even has potential as an agrichar for carbon sequestration and soil enhancement.

Atlantic Hydrogen believes its system — called CarbonSaver — could be installed at natural gas gateway in communities, allowing the local gas company to deliver “green” natural gas — what the company calls hydrogen-enriched natural gas. The system could also be used at natural gas refuelling stations for vehicles and, on a larger scale, at natural gas power plants.

A few questions remain, however. How much energy does the system require to function? If it’s too parasitic, then its value is limited. Also, is a 7 per cent reduction in carbon really enough to make this worth the extra cost? It all comes down to the economics of the technology. That said, given that we’re likely to be dependent on natural gas for many decades to come, any economical method for reducing the environmental impact of burning that gas within our existing distribution infrastructure is certainly worth considering.