Technip Energies Taps Methane Pyrolysis to Disrupt Low-Carbon Hydrogen Production

Technip Energies and U.S. startup Graphitic Energy are joining forces to bring a game-changing methane pyrolysis technology to the global stage—one that cranks out clean hydrogen and high-purity synthetic graphite at the same time. Announced in May 2025, this partnership builds on Graphitic’s pilot facility in San Antonio, Texas, which has been up and running since March 2025.

This isn’t your typical process. Instead of burning methane with oxygen, it breaks it down with heat alone—no oxygen, no CO₂ emissions. What’s more, it takes a whopping 85% less electricity than electrolysis does. The goal? Crank out clean hydrogen for about $1.50 per kilogram—and that’s without government subsidies.

Synthetic graphite: the high-value side hustle

The hydrogen might grab the headlines, but the other half of this process—synthetic graphite—isn’t just some throwaway byproduct. It’s aimed squarely at the booming battery manufacturing sector, where prices can hit $20,000 a ton. That kind of value could make this tech one of the few clean hydrogen solutions that actually pays for itself in more ways than one.

Looking beyond traditional hydrogen production

By offering a more energy-efficient and cleaner alternative to both electrolysis and steam methane reforming, this platform could seriously shake up the hydrogen production space. Technip Energies plans to start licensing and selling it worldwide by the end of 2025, and if it scales as expected, it might just become one of the most disruptive tools in the industrial decarbonization arsenal.

Texas, long known as a fossil fuel giant, now finds itself at the heart of this clean tech revolution. With projects like this taking root, it’s not just keeping up with the energy transition—it’s helping lead it.