Netherlands – The Dutch startup Thoriant, a spin-out of Brightsite, is beginning commercial development of plasma technology that co-produces emission-free hydrogen and acetylene from methane. In recent years, a research and development program in plasma technology has been conducted at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus that has now resulted in the creation of Thoriant.
Plasma technology and its potential
Thor, the hammer-wielding Norwegian God of Lightning, represents what an electrical plasma is: a sledgehammer that breaks atomic bonds. Thoriant will focus on breaking the C-H bonds in methane to produce hydrogen and acetylene which is a chemical feedstock to produce vinylchloride and ethylene. Powered with green electricity, the plasma production process will be zero emission. In the future, Thoriant can use the fuel gasses from electrified naphtha steam crackers as a feedstock instead of natural gas. In this way, plasma technology provides an important puzzle piece for the realization of a Net Zero and Circular Chemelot site by 2050.
