Virginia Tech has been awarded a $1.3 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to lead research focused on converting natural gas into cleaner, more economically viable turquoise hydrogen in Southwest Virginia from reserves including the Marcellus Shale and the Appalachian Basin. The project’s overarching goal is to create a hydrogen innovation hub, leveraging the region’s abundant natural gas resources and infrastructure to produce turquoise hydrogen through catalytic methane decomposition.
This process involves using methane to generate hydrogen and solid carbon without producing carbon dioxide. Turquoise hydrogen offers a promising solution to the challenges of hydrogen production because it avoids the costly and energy-intensive separation processes used in current methods, which often produce hydrogen mixed with other gases, including CO2.
According to the project’s researchers, key goals of the initiative include:
- Establishing a world-leading hydrogen innovation hub in Virginia focused on turquoise hydrogen production
- Promoting regional economic development, diversifying local economies, and enhancing entrepreneurial activities in the Appalachian region
- Developing a skilled workforce well-prepared for the chemical manufacturing industry
- Supporting local communities by preserving and promoting natural and cultural assets to boost regional economies
- Strengthening leadership and collaboration within communities to improve quality of life
Sheima Khatib, an associate professor at Virginia Tech, leads the research and explains that the catalytic methane decomposition method is a breakthrough because it produces hydrogen without generating CO2 emissions. The resulting hydrogen can be used in fuel cells (for clean energy generation) and plays an essential role in various industrial processes such as ammonia synthesis for fertilizers, petroleum refining, and methanol production. Additionally, the solid carbon produced can be used in advanced materials, creating new economic opportunities.
“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," Khatib said. "Our method eliminates this issue, representing a major advancement in producing clean hydrogen from an existing abundant resource.”
By transforming methane, an abundant but potent greenhouse gas, into valuable products, Khatib’s research aims to reduce emissions and turn an environmental burden into a sustainable economic asset.
The project also involves several key academic and industrial partners, including Amy Price Azano, an expert in rural education, who will focus on workforce development. Azano will create educational programs in rural schools to raise awareness and interest in sustainable energy technologies such as turquoise hydrogen. The project aims to build energy literacy and offer training opportunities for rural communities, ensuring the workforce is prepared for the growing clean energy sector.
“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.”
Zachary Brown, Virginia Tech’s associate director of business development, will focus on business development, while Robert Hart, Shepherd Chemical Company R&D leader, will conduct market, cost, and feasibility analyses to evaluate the potential for scaling up the technology. These collaborations are designed to ensure that the new hydrogen production method can be commercially viable and effectively transferred to industry partners.
Asbury University assistant professor of chemistry Wilson Shafer also will be assisting the research.
The project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, stimulate economic growth, foster community engagement, and support the adoption of sustainable energy solutions, ultimately contributing to both regional and national energy security.