Syntholene Energy Corp. [TSXV:ESAF] has taken a significant step forward in the race to produce affordable clean fuels, announcing both the successful production of its first green hydrogen and highly encouraging findings from an independent review by engineering powerhouse KBR.
The Vancouver-based company reported that its geothermally integrated Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell (SOEC) demonstration facility in Húsavík, Iceland, has produced 500 kilograms of high-purity electrolytic hydrogen.
Initial testing shows hydrogen purity exceeding 99.9%, with early operational data indicating that stack electrical consumption is performing at approximately 33.5 kWh per kg H₂ and overall system consumption between 37.8–40.0 kWh per kg H₂ – tracking closely with manufacturer specifications.
“We are actively producing hydrogen. Today,” said Dan Sutton, Chief Executive Officer of Syntholene. “Production from Syntholene’s thermally integrated SOEC system demonstrates that the facility is operating as designed. With commissioning now complete, our focus shifts toward extended effects testing and independent validation of system performance over the coming months.”
Independent technical and economic review
A separate independent technical and economic review by KBR also highlighted the strong potential of Syntholene’s approach. The report examined the company’s hydrogen technology and its application to synthetic sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF), where hydrogen represents the dominant cost component.
Under best-case Iceland geothermal scenarios, KBR assessed Syntholene’s likely levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH) at approximately US$1.75 per kg H₂, rising to around US$2.10 per kg under broader deployment assumptions.
These figures stand in sharp contrast to recent European benchmarks: unsubsidised green hydrogen averaging around US$7.66 per kg, and even fossil-derived hydrogen via Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) with carbon capture and the European carbon price, estimated at about US$4.70 per kg.
The findings underscore the structural advantages of Syntholene’s hybrid thermal production system, which intelligently combines low-carbon geothermal electricity and heat. Key differentiators identified include reduced electrical intensity through SOEC operation and heat recovery, seamless integration potential with eSAF configurations, effective mitigation of geothermal silica scaling, and strategies to extend SOEC stack life via dynamic AC:DC operation.
