On 25 June 2025, the ColdSpark project brought together over 120 participants from across the globe for the dynamic joint webinar “Critical Raw Materials and Beyond: Methane Splitting for Strategic Value Chains.” Organised in collaboration with the ColdSpark sister projects TITAN and STORMING, the event drew researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders eager to explore cutting-edge solutions for clean hydrogen and strategic carbon materials.
The webinar kicked off with a keynote by Maximilian Kuhn from Hydrogen Europe, who set the scene by highlighting the role of methane splitting in reducing Europe’s CO₂ footprint, cutting hydrogen transport costs, and building strategic autonomy for raw materials like graphite and carbon black.
The three EU-funded projects shared their unique technological pathways:
- ColdSpark’s coordinator Terje Hauan introduced the cold plasma technology for splitting methane into clean hydrogen and high-purity carbon, with no need for catalysts and strong potential for modular industrial deployment.
- STORMING presented a novel approach using iron-based catalysts in electrified reactors to produce hydrogen and valuable carbon nanotubes from biogas, supported by life cycle and techno-economic analyses.
- TITAN demonstrated a microwave-powered fluidised bed reactor using bio-based methane, capable of generating hydrogen and solid carbon with high thermal efficiency and potential applications in agriculture and industry.
A key to the real impact of the webinar was the contribution from industry leaders Michelin and Elkem. Pierre Laurent from Michelin emphasised the strategic importance of sustainable carbon materials for the tyre industry and the potential for carbon blacks derived from methane splitting to support circularity and decarbonisation goals. Kristian Stangeland from Elkem highlighted the growing demand for low-carbon carbon products in high-performance materials and the importance of integrating new carbon sources into European value chains.
Throughout the discussions, the presenters expressed confidence that educating stakeholders and fostering a shared vision are essential steps toward successfully deploying these technologies.
The public played an active role throughout the webinar, submitting over 30 questions and participating in 8 live polls. Their engagement enriched the final panel discussion, moderated by Michael Köttner from IBBK, where speakers addressed technical barriers, industry use cases, and policy needs for scaling up.
Participants agreed that methane splitting is a promising though still technically maturing solution. The main challenges to wider deployment remain technological maturity and regulatory alignment.
The webinar successfully strengthened dialogue between research and industry and underscored the potential of methane splitting to support Europe’s green transition and raw material resilience. One thing was certain: methane splitting has already moved far beyond theory. It’s an emerging solution with the potential to power Europe’s clean energy future and secure strategic carbon value chains.
Download presentations:
Storming Project: Simultaneous Production of H2 and Carbon Nanotubes in Electrified Reactors, Patricia Benito Martin, Storming scientific coordinator
Methane Splitting for Elkem’s Current and Innovative Silicon Production Process, Kristian Stangeland, Research and Development Engineer, Elkem