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Companies like Monolith and Seattle-based startup Modern Hydrogen are using new technologies to create a cleaner hydrogen that's also creating a useful byproduct — solid carbon that can be used to make petroleum-free asphalt materials.

"Modern Hydrogen produces clean hydrogen without renewable power. We can do this because we split apart natural gas into clean hydrogen and solid carbon," said Tony Pan, CEO of Modern Hydrogen.

Natural gas is a cleaner fuel than oil, but it still emits harmful carbon dioxide when burned.

Clients put the Modern Hydrogen system, which looks like a large box, where they would normally use their natural gas. The system first separates the gas into solid carbon and clean hydrogen. The client then uses that emission-free hydrogen fuel. A portion of it also powers the system.

Modern Hydrogen has a second business selling the leftover carbon to asphalt makers. Using carbon, instead of the usual petroleum, makes the asphalt stronger, cheaper and greener. Asphalt is traditionally a mix of gravel and petroleum.

"There is this $100 billion per year market that wants to buy dissolved carbon and put it into asphalt, and that just helps the whole economics of this decarbonization play," said Pan.

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