HiiROC
HiiROC is a UK clean hydrogen technology company that uses proprietary Thermal Plasma Electrolysis to convert biomethane, flare gas, or natural gas into zero-CO2 hydrogen and solid carbon black for industrial, power, maritime, and aviation customers, with first commercial units planned for 2026.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersKingston upon Hull, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What HiiROC does
HiiROC is a UK-based industrial technology company founded in 2019 that develops and commercialises a proprietary process called Thermal Plasma Electrolysis (TPE). TPE uses electrical fields in patented plasma torches to split hydrocarbons (biomethane, flare gas, or natural gas) into clean hydrogen and solid carbon black without producing CO2 emissions. The company claims the technology uses one-fifth of the electricity required by water electrolysis and is cost-competitive with Steam Methane Reforming without requiring Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) infrastructure. A wholly-owned subsidiary, Zeleno Ltd (established 2020 in Edinburgh), extends the core platform into Thermal Plasma Reforming (TPR) for Sustainable Aviation Fuel production.
The company operates a technology-licensing and point-of-use hydrogen production model, targeting industrial decarbonisation (steel, cement, chemicals), power generation, maritime shipping (methanol and ammonia fuels), aviation (SAF), and waste-to-energy operators. Revenue streams are planned across direct hydrogen sales, carbon black by-product sales, e-methanol and SAF production, and technology licensing to strategic partners such as Tokyo Gas. Distribution is achieved through direct enterprise sales, pipeline infrastructure partnerships (East Midlands Pipeline), and an investor network that includes Centrica, Cemex Ventures, GKN, Hyundai/Kia, and World Kinect.
HiiROC is pre-revenue with first commercial units planned for 2026. Demonstrated commercial traction is currently limited to a turquoise hydrogen demonstration plant at Centrica's Brigg peaker plant in Lincolnshire, with larger deployments under development at the Thainstone Energy Park in Scotland (up to 200,000 tonnes/year waste processing) and via East Midlands Pipeline (up to 50 tonnes/day hydrogen). The company has raised approximately £36 million in cumulative disclosed funding, including a £26m round in November 2021 (led by Melrose Industries' first equity-stake investment) and a £10m MarineFifty investment in December 2025, and was awarded an LCHS1 production contract under the UK hydrogen allocation round.
HiiROC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HiiROC
- Legal name
- HiiROC Limited
- Website
- https://hiiroc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- HiiROC is a UK clean hydrogen technology company that uses proprietary Thermal Plasma Electrolysis to convert biomethane, flare gas, or natural gas into zero-CO2 hydrogen and solid carbon black for industrial, power, maritime, and aviation customers, with first commercial units planned for 2026.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HiiROC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Clean Hydrogen Production Technology
- NAICS
- Industrial Gas Manufacturing (32512), Industrial Gas Manufacturing (325120)
- SIC
- Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hydrogen & Derivative Fuels for Industry (H₂, Ammonia, Methanol) (EUABAJAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Hydrogen (Industrial & Mobility) (IMAEACAB), E‑Fuels & Synthetic Hydrocarbons (e‑kerosene, e‑diesel, e‑gasoline, e‑methane) (EUABAIAA), Solvent/Sorbent/Catalyst Materials & Capture Equipment Manufacturing (Absorbers, Strippers, Heat Exchangers) (EUAAALAJ)
Keywords
Where HiiROC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kingston upon Hull
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
HiiROC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Hydrogen Sales: Sale of clean hydrogen produced via Thermal Plasma Electrolysis to industrial customers, power generators, and maritime sectors. Point-of-use production model avoids transport/storage costs.
- Carbon Black Sales: Sale of solid carbon black by-product from hydrogen production process to rubber, plastics, inks, and other manufacturing sectors.
- Technology Licensing: Potential licensing of TPE technology to partners for deployment at their facilities (e.g., Tokyo Gas partnership).
- E-Methanol and SAF Production: Production of e-methanol and Sustainable Aviation Fuel by integrating hydrogen with captured CO2 for maritime and aviation sectors.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
HiiROC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HiiROC fundamentally produces clean (turquoise) hydrogen through its proprietary Thermal Plasma Electrolysis (TPE) process, which uses electrical fields in patented plasma torches to split biomethane, flare gas, or natural gas into hydrogen and solid carbon black with zero CO2 emissions. The hydrogen is sold to industrial customers for power generation, industrial decarbonisation, maritime fuels, and aviation applications, while the carbon black by-product is sold into rubber, plastics, and inks markets. Technology licensing and co-development partnerships (e.g., Tokyo Gas, East Midlands Pipeline, MarineFifty) extend the offering geographically.
Product overview
HiiROC is a clean hydrogen technology company offering a portfolio anchored by its proprietary Thermal Plasma Electrolysis (TPE) core technology, which converts biomethane, flare gas, or natural gas into zero-CO2 'turquoise hydrogen' and solid carbon black. The company operates as a platform business, with TPE serving as the foundational process, supplemented by sub-products including Thermal Plasma Reforming (TPR) for SAF production and a planned 150,000-tonnes-per-year clean methanol plant — both leveraging the same core hydrogen output. The carbon black by-product complements the offering as a monetisable, zero-emission material. Zeleno Ltd, a Scottish subsidiary established in 2020, manages SAF-specific development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Clean (Turquoise) Hydrogen Production via Thermal Plasma Electrolysis Zero-CO2 turquoise hydrogen produced from biomethane, flare gas, or natural gas using HiiROC's proprietary Thermal Plasma Electrolysis (TPE) process, supplied to industrial customers, power generators, maritime fuel producers, and aviation fuel developers via point-of-use deployment at customer sites.
- Carbon Black (zero-emission by-product) A pure, stable, zero-emission carbon black produced as a co-product of the Thermal Plasma Electrolysis hydrogen process, sold to manufacturers of tyres, rubbers, plastics, inks, and toners, with additional applications in environmental remediation filters, soil enhancers, animal feeds, and high-performance and construction materials.
- Thermal Plasma Reforming (TPR) for Sustainable Aviation Fuel A Sustainable Aviation Fuel production pathway based on HiiROC's proprietary plasma technology, developed by wholly owned subsidiary Zeleno Ltd, designed to produce SAF at lower cost and carbon intensity than existing power-to-liquid pathways.
- Clean Methanol / E-Methanol Production (Planned) Planned large-scale e-methanol production combining HiiROC's turquoise hydrogen with captured CO2, intended for use as zero-emission marine fuel for shipping operators.
Quantifiable outcome
- One-fifth the electricity of water electrolysis
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use HiiROC
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
HiiROC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
HiiROC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Stratus Energy PartnersminorCollaboration on SAF feasibility study. Stratus provides project development and delivery experience for decarbonisation solutions in heavy industry, shipping, and aviation.
- Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.coreNon-binding MoU signed 5 January 2025 to explore strategic partnership and potential future investment. Collaboration on HiiROC's TPE technology in Japan with option to expand to other regions. Joint assessment of decarbonisation opportunities for Tokyo Gas customers' operations and assets, and exploration of solid carbon by-product utilisation.
- East Midlands Pipeline LimitedcoreLandmark Development Agreement to advance hydrogen deployment in East & West Midlands. HiiROC to provide TPE technology for biomethane conversion, producing up to 50 tonnes of hydrogen per day. EMP repurposing 63km pipeline for hydrogen storage and transport.
- Agile Energy Recovery LimitedcoreStrategic collaboration to deploy HiiROC's TPE technology at Thainstone Energy Park in Inverurie, Scotland. Facility will process up to 200,000 tonnes of waste per year with potential integration to produce low-carbon e-methanol for maritime applications using captured CO2 and hydrogen.
- AirbusminorStakeholder expressing support for HiiROC's SAF feasibility study in Scotland
- Zeleno LtdcoreScottish subsidiary of HiiROC established in 2020, focused on developing Thermal Plasma Reforming (TPR) technology for SAF production. Based in Edinburgh.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
HiiROC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hazer Group: Australian company using catalytic methane pyrolysis to produce hydrogen and synthetic graphite. Competes with HiiROC in the turquoise hydrogen space, although their solid carbon output is graphite rather than carbon black.
- Monolith Materials: US-based methane pyrolysis company producing clean hydrogen and carbon black via plasma technology. The closest direct competitor to HiiROC's TPE process, with an overlapping dual-revenue model (hydrogen + carbon black) and similar target end-markets.
- ITM Power: UK-listed PEM electrolyser manufacturer producing green hydrogen from water electrolysis. Competes for the same industrial decarbonisation and power generation customers as HiiROC, though via a fundamentally different production pathway.
- Nel ASA: Norwegian electrolyser manufacturer and hydrogen fueling station provider. A direct competitor in the clean hydrogen production equipment market, particularly for industrial-scale green hydrogen projects.
Emerging players
- C-2CNT: Early-stage US company developing carbon nanotube-enabled methane pyrolysis for hydrogen and carbon nanomaterials. Adjacent technology approach to HiiROC with similar plasma/pyrolysis fundamentals.
- LanzaTech: Carbon-to-value company producing ethanol and SAF from industrial off-gases via gas fermentation. Overlaps with HiiROC's SAF ambitions (Zeleno Ltd) and shares the waste-to-fuel thesis, though via a biological rather than plasma pathway.
- Velocys: SAF and renewable diesel producer using Fischer-Tropsch conversion. Competes in the same end-markets (aviation decarbonisation) as HiiROC's TPR/SAF sub-product, with a different production pathway.
Broad incumbents
- Plug Power: Large US hydrogen fuel cell and electrolyser company. A broad incumbent across the hydrogen value chain (production, equipment, mobility), competing with HiiROC for industrial and mobility hydrogen customers at greater scale but with higher-cost green hydrogen.
- Linde / Air Liquide: Global industrial gas majors producing hydrogen (predominantly grey/SMR today). Incumbents that HiiROC must displace or partner with for distribution, and who are actively investing in clean hydrogen alternatives.
Regional players
- HIF Global: Chile-headquartered e-fuels company producing e-methanol and e-gasoline from green hydrogen. A regional player in the e-methanol space where HiiROC also plans to compete (Agile Energy Scotland project), though using electrolysis rather than methane pyrolysis.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
HiiROC social profiles
Digital presenceHiiROC compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
HiiROC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HiiROC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
HiiROC subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
HiiROC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HiiROC M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about HiiROC
What does HiiROC do?
HiiROC fundamentally produces clean (turquoise) hydrogen through its proprietary Thermal Plasma Electrolysis (TPE) process, which uses electrical fields in patented plasma torches to split biomethane, flare gas, or natural gas into hydrogen and solid carbon black with zero CO2 emissions. The hydrogen is sold to industrial customers for power generation, industrial decarbonisation, maritime fuels, and aviation applications, while the carbon black by-product is sold into rubber, plastics, and inks markets. Technology licensing and co-development partnerships (e.g., Tokyo Gas, East Midlands Pipeline, MarineFifty) extend the offering geographically.
Is HiiROC a public or private company?
HiiROC is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was HiiROC founded?
HiiROC was founded in 2019. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is HiiROC based?
HiiROC is headquartered in Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does HiiROC make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Hydrogen Sales are the primary driver. The others are carbon Black Sales, technology Licensing and E-Methanol and SAF Production.
Who are HiiROC's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hazer Group, Monolith Materials, ITM Power and Nel ASA. Emerging players are C-2CNT, LanzaTech and Velocys. Broad incumbents are Plug Power and Linde / Air Liquide. HIF Global is listed as a regional player.
Does HiiROC have an API?
No public API is recorded for HiiROC.
What industry is HiiROC in?
HiiROC's product category is Clean Hydrogen Production Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUABAJAC, Hydrogen & Derivative Fuels for Industry (H₂, Ammonia, Methanol), with a secondary code of IMAEACAB, Hydrogen (Industrial & Mobility). Its NAICS code is 32512 and its SIC code is 2860.