Williams will invest in Aurora Hydrogen, a company developing technology that converts natural gas to hydrogen with zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Aurora Hydrogen’s technology uses microwave energy to convert methane to hydrogen and solid carbon without generating CO2, according to the company. Williams’ investment will support scaling production to 200 kg of hydrogen per day, with the development of a demonstration plant by 2023. Williams was joined by Energy Innovation Capital (EIC), Chevron Technology Ventures, Shell Ventures, and the George Kaiser Family Foundation in the investment in Aurora Hydrogen.
“The Aurora Hydrogen technology supports our strategy to further leverage natural gas as a powerful tool in decarbonizing the energy value chain,” said Chad Zamarin, senior vice president of Corporate Strategic Development for Williams. “With our existing energy infrastructure, Williams is well positioned to transport, store, and deliver next generation natural gas and accelerate the development of zero-carbon energy sources including hydrogen and renewables.”
Williams made its investment through its Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) program, which is intended to support efforts to commercialize emerging technologies including clean hydrogen, solar, carbon capture utilization and storage, and next generation natural gas.
Through the CVC, Williams has also committed approximately US$40 million toward venture funds and direct investment in emerging technology companies at the forefront of the energy transition.
