CEMEX invests in HiiROC’s clean hydrogen technology

Mexican building materials company CEMEX said on February 1 it has invested in HiiROC, a clean hydrogen production startup, to advance its adoption of hydrogen technology.

UK-based HiiROC has developed technology that uses thermal plasma electrolysis to convert natural gas, flare gas, or biomethane into hydrogen at a lower cost than competing solutions and without a CO₂ footprint. 

The resulting turquoise hydrogen is zero CO₂, and is developed at a cost comparable to steam methane reforming (SMR) but without emissions normally associated with the SMR process and using only a fifth of the energy needed for water electrolysis.

"HiiROC's solution is sustainable, scalable, cost-effective, and has strong growth potential inside the hydrogen ecosystem,” said Gonzalo Galindo, head of CEMEX Ventures. “This investment is yet another important step in our transition from fossil to alternative fuels and towards achieving our net-zero goal for 2050."  

CEMEX has been pioneering the use of hydrogen since 2019 to increase low-carbon fuel use and improve thermal efficiency across its operations.