About Us

VulcanX Logo

VulcanX is not your typical startup. We spun out from MéridaLabs at the University of British Columbia with a fully de-risked pilot plant. It all started in 2017 when we met with international partners to discuss methane pyrolysis. Since then, we have developed new systems that can produce hydrogen and solid carbon more efficiently and at a low cost.

We secured non-dilutive funding to de-risk and scale up the technology and build a pilot plant in Alberta, Canada.

VulcanX Energy Corp. was incorporated in October 2022. We are securing funding and investment to scale production to at least 1 tonne of hydrogen production per day by 2026.

Our Leadership Team

Dr. Omar Herrera​
Dr. Omar Herrera

CEO, Founder

  • +15 years of experience in clean energy, marketing, and partnership development

  • R&D and engineering manager

Dr. Amir Sharafian
Dr. Amir Sharafian, P.Eng.

CTO, Founder

  • +15 years of experience in clean technology development
  • +7 years of team leadership in clean technology development
Dr. Walter Mérida
Dr. Walter Mérida, FCAE

CSO, Founder

  • +20 years of experience in clean energy solutions and industry collaboration

  • Board of Directors for the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association, and the Institute for Breakthrough Energy Technologies

Funding Agencies

VulcanX: Lab to Pilot Plant in Five Years

Feb. 2017

Technology Scan

2017
2020

May 2020

Provisional Patent 1- Filed

 


 

Sep. 2020

Lab Prototype Completed

1 kg H2/day

 

Jan. 2021
Alberta Innovates Fund - $5M
Partners - $1.25M

 


‎ ‎
Mar. 2021
Pilot Plant Design - Started‎ ‎
55 kg H2/day
‎ ‎


‎ ‎
Sep. 2021

Front-End Engineering Design Completed
55 kg H2/day Pilot plant
‎ ‎

‎ ‎
Nov. 2021

Provisional Patent 2- Filed

2021
2022

Mar. 2022

Detailed Design started

Vulcanx Lab
Vulcanx Lab

55 kg H2/day Pilot plant

 


 
Nov. 2022
NRCan –Energy Innovation Program- $1.25M
 

 

Nov. 2022
Patent 1 - Filed (US, Canada, Australia)
‎‎


 
Nov. 2022
Natural Gas Innovation Fund (NGIF)- $0.43M

Jan. 2023
Procurement Started
55 kg H2/day Pilot plant


 
Apr. 2023
Clean Resource Innovation Network (CRIN)- $1.25M

 



Aug. 2023
Construction Begins
55 kg H2/day Pilot plant

2023
2024
Stay Tuned