Syntholene Energy has officially opened its new hydrogen demonstration facility in Húsavík, Iceland, where it will begin testing a new way of producing hydrogen using geothermal heat.
The project was finished about six months ahead of schedule and came in under budget. With construction complete, the company is now shifting its focus to testing the technology under real operating conditions.
Instead of relying only on electricity, the system also uses heat from underground geothermal sources. Syntholene believes this could lower energy use and reduce the cost of producing hydrogen, an important ingredient in making synthetic aviation fuel.
The facility will spend the next few months collecting performance data to see how well the technology works outside the laboratory. The first results are expected later this year and will help the company decide how to move towards larger commercial projects.
Chief Executive Officer Dan Sutton said the project is an important milestone because it allows the company to test its technology in a real geothermal environment. If the results are positive, he believes the approach could make sustainable aviation fuel more affordable in the future.
