Abstract

Methane pyrolysis is an emerging technology for low-emission and low-cost hydrogen production from natural gas. In addition to generating hydrogen, it produces solid carbon, which can serve as a valuable raw material for the production of various commodities. This technology leverages the extensive natural gas infrastructure and operational expertise already in place, while offering a pathway to hydrogen production with minimal carbon emissions. Consequently, significant research and development efforts have been undertaken worldwide to advance and commercialize methane pyrolysis.

To assess the techno-economic potential of this technology, this presentation first provides an overview of the main hydrogen production pathways, highlighting their potentials and challenges, before focusing on methane pyrolysis. As an endothermic reaction, methane pyrolysis is being explored through a variety of process configurations and technological approaches aimed at optimizing energy efficiency and controlling the structure of the solid carbon by-product. The seminar outlines the major technology pathways, presents their classification, and discusses the current technical challenges and research needs critical to advancing methane pyrolysis toward commercial deployment.

Dr. Mehdi Jafarian has over 15 years of experience in industry and academia, specializing in energy research, process development and optimization, and reactor engineering. He has held positions as Lead R&D Engineer and Senior Process Engineer at Hazer Group and BP. Prior to his industry roles, Dr Jafarian served as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Adelaide and was a member of the management committee of the Centre for Energy Technology at the University of Adelaide, Australia.

Throughout his career, he has contributed to the development and commercialization of several technologies in hydrogen production, storage, and transportation, as well as water treatment. His expertise spans process engineering, thermal sciences, renewable energy, energy storage and conversion, hybrid systems, concentrated solar thermal energy, multiphase flow systems, decarbonization, and alternative fuels.

Dr Jafarian has co-authored more than 60 peer-reviewed journal papers and is named on seven patents, including four as lead inventor. His work has been cited over 1,800 times and he has an h-index of 27. With a dual academic background (BSc and MSc in Chemical Engineering and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering), he has led numerous research projects throughout both his industrial and academic career and continues to pursue multidisciplinary research initiatives.