image: (From left) Chemical engineering graduate student Silvanus Junior Darkey shows a reactor setup to Sheima Khatib, associate professor of chemical engineering. The setup includes a furnace housing the catalytic reactor and connected gas lines, crucial for experiments converting natural gas into hydrogen and carbon.
Credit: Photo by Hailey Wade for Virginia Tech.
Virginia Tech has received a $1.3 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to lead natural gas conversion research in Southwest Virginia. The goal is to establish a premier hydrogen innovation hub — or a network of facilities, industries, and partners — to efficiently turn natural gas into cleaner and more economically viable products.
This initiative aims to revolutionize the energy and hydrogen production industries on a large scale, leveraging the region's abundant natural gas resources and existing infrastructure to produce turquoise hydrogen, which is hydrogen derived from natural gas pyrolysis, from reserves such as the Marcellus Shale and the Appalachian Basin.
“We are utilizing natural gas, a relatively cleaner fossil fuel compared to oil, and converting it into hydrogen, which not only is a clean energy carrier but is also used as feedstock for manufacturing in many large-scale industrial processes,” said Sheima Khatib, associate professor of chemical engineering and one of the researchers leading the project.
Project at a glance
The goals of this project are to:
- Establish a leading hydrogen innovation hub in Virginia, advancing turquoise hydrogen production through catalytic methane decomposition
- Promote regional partnerships to support economic development, diversify the economic base, and enhance entrepreneurial activities
- Develop a world-class, highly skilled workforce that is well educated and trained for the chemical manufacturing job market
- Assist communities in preserving, developing, and promoting natural and cultural assets to boost local economies
- Strengthen local and regional leadership to enhance collaborative and community-based skills, improving quality of life in the Appalachian region of Virginia
“While there are alternative methods used currently in industry to produce hydrogen, they often result in hydrogen mixed with other gases, including carbon dioxide, requiring expensive and energy intensive separation processes," said Khatib. "Our method eliminates this issue, representing a major advancement in producing clean hydrogen from an existing abundant resource.”
Khatib researches catalytic methane decomposition, a process that converts methane — the primary component of natural gas — into hydrogen and solid carbon using a catalyst. This approach offers a direct, carbon-free pathway to hydrogen production without generating carbon dioxide emissions. The resulting hydrogen is essential for fuel cells, which generate electricity with only water as a byproduct, making them ideal for power generation and transportation.
Hydrogen also plays a crucial role in various industrial processes, including ammonia synthesis for fertilizers, petroleum refining, and methanol production. Meanwhile, solid carbon has potential applications in advanced materials. By optimizing catalyst design and process efficiency, her research aims to enhance scalability and economic viability of this clean hydrogen production method.
By transforming a potent greenhouse gas into less harmful, high-value products at the source, Khatib and the research team aim to reduce methane and carbon dioxide emissions and turn an environmental burden into an economic asset.
“This project will contribute to economic growth, community engagement, the adoption of sustainable energy solutions, and bolster both regional and national security,” Khatib said.
Khatib has teamed up with academic and industrial partners to achieve these goals:
- Amy Price Azano, professor of rural education and adolescent literacy and director of the Center for Rural Education at Virginia Tech
- Wilson Shafer, assistant professor of chemistry at Asbury University
- Robert Hart, R&D leader, Shepherd Chemical Company
Promoting regional partnerships
To ensure the successful implementation of catalytic methane decomposition technology, the project aims to create partnerships throughout the carbon and hydrogen value chains already present in the region. Leading the business side of the initiative, Hart will collaborate with Virginia Tech to perform thorough market, cost, and feasibility analyses to evaluate the economic potential of the new technology. By establishing collaborations with industries in the Appalachian region, the team will facilitate technology transfer and provide feedback to industry partners through comprehensive techno-economic analyses. These efforts will help bridge the gap between laboratory research and pilot-scale implementation, ensuring the technology's practical application and commercial viability.
“Carbon doesn't belong in the atmosphere. It belongs in high-value, durable materials that bring value to peoples' lives,” Hart said. “Catalytic methane decomposition to make hydrogen and carbon needed a breakthrough to achieve this goal, and Professor Khatib's team has found one that looks like it could be successful. We are excited to partner on this project to see if this technology can be scaled up into a successful business with real societal impact.”
Educating future generations to build a workforce
Amy Price Azano, an expert in rural education, will lead a significant part of this project focused on workforce development. The goal is to enhance energy literacy and workforce development in rural communities, creating pathways for new skills and training opportunities.
Azano will develop K-12 rural-focused educational modules to spark interest in sustainable energy technologies. She also will design and implement professional development programs, supporting teachers as they develop plans to educate students on emerging sustainable technologies, such as turquoise hydrogen. Collaborating with local schools, she will ensure these programs meet the community's specific needs and align with local educational resources.
“This grant provides a meaningful opportunity to support teachers as they develop place-based lessons designed to strengthen student learning and rural sustainability," Azano said. "Every place is made stronger when rural places thrive.”