Recent Advances in Electrified Methane Pyrolysis Technologies for Turquoise Hydrogen Production

The global campaign to reach net zero will necessitate the use of hydrogen as an effi-cient way to store renewable electricity at large scale. Methane pyrolysis is rapidly gaining traction as an enabling technology to produce low-cost hydrogen without di-rectly emitting carbon dioxide. It offers a scalable and sustainable alternative to steam reforming, whilst being compatible with existing infrastructure. The process most commonly uses thermal energy to decompose methane (CH4) into hydrogen gas (H2) and solid carbon (C). The electrification of this reaction is of great significance, allow-ing it to be driven by excess renewable electricity rather than fossil fuels, and elimi-nating indirect emissions. This review discusses the most recent technological ad-vances in electrified methane pyrolysis and the relative merits of the mainstream re-actor technologies in this space (plasma, microwave, fluidised bed, and direct resistive heating). The study also examines the economic viability of the process, considering energy costs, and the market potential of both turquoise hydrogen and solid carbon products. Whilst these technologies offer emissions-free hydrogen production, chal-lenges such as carbon deposition, reactor stability, and high energy consumption must be addressed for large-scale adoption. Future research should focus on process opti-misation, advanced reactor designs, and policy frameworks to support commercialisa-tion. With continued technological innovation and sufficient investment, electrified methane pyrolysis has the potential to become the primary route for sustainable pro-duction of hydrogen at industrial scale.