The application is for NewHydrogen’s Thermoloop water-splitting process and associated equipment for use with new material compositions uncovered by the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB).

Coming off the back of a 2023 research agreement, the technology is positioned as a low-cost, more efficient way to produce green hydrogen than conventional electrolysis, using abundant materials.

Technical details remain thin. However, the process is designed to operate at temperatures below 1,000°C, using any available sources of heat and water.

The process relies on a thermochemical cycle in which heat drives a series of reactions that split water into hydrogen and oxygen. NewHydrogen claims its “novel material” allows these reactions to happen at almost the same temperature.

The new patent covers the material, which was engineered by UCSB using artificial intelligence.

According to NewHydrogen, the system can tackle the high costs of hydrogen by replacing expensive power with cheap heat.

The company, originally a solar materials developer known as BioSolar, pivoted to hydrogen technology and rebranded as NewHydrogen in 2021 amid rising investment in the clean hydrogen sector.

Steve Hill, CEO of NewHydrogen, said the new patent could advance the firm’s mission to produce “the world’s most cost-effective clean hydrogen.”

While power remains a cost barrier for conventional hydrogen production, thermochemical water-splitting technologies also face potential commercial bottlenecks.

High-temperature systems tend to be highly susceptible to degradation and must be co-located with suitable heat infrastructure, limiting financial longevity and deployment flexibility.