Tamil Nadu company says it has developed water-to-hydrogen technology

A private company, HONC Gas Pvt. Ltd., has claimed to have indigenously developed a technology to convert purified water directly into hydrogen gas through a proprietary multi-stage electrolysis and gas-blending process.

The company on Friday demonstrated the technology at its factory in Avinashi, Tiruppur, where devices ranging from kitchen-top gas stoves to industrial burners were operated with its gas.

Bealur Ramalingam Kaarthic, founder of the company, told journalists that HONC Gas could be applied across heavy and large industries currently relying on fossil fuels, but all equipment must be compatible with the fuel. “While the core technology is complete, the supporting equipment and components are yet to be developed for full-scale industrial use,” he said. However, the technology needs to be scientifically validated.

According to him, his “innovation”, Gyroid Electrolyte Membrane (GEM), produces a precise mixture of hydrogen (H₂) and oxygen (O₂) for fuel generation. “When purified water is poured into the HONC gas generators, the hydrogen and the oxygen are broken down after which the combine is converted into hydrogen gas through multiple scientific processes,” he said. “The GEM technology generates fuel on demand, removing the need for compression, long-distance transport, or storage,” he added.

“HONC Gas operates entirely on purified water, producing hydrogen fuel instantly with no carbon emissions, reflecting its name: Hydrogen–Oxygen, No Carbon,” he added.

“These power generator units, which convert water into hydrogen gas, are fully indigenous and run on DC current or solar power while recycling energy. They consume minimal quantities of water. The system is cost-efficient: boiling one litre of water with LPG takes 5.36 minutes at ₹0.63, while using HONC Gas, it takes 1.32 minutes at ₹0.14,” he said.

Actor-politician R. Sarath Kumar, who is the executive director of the company, said it has completed the patenting process and submitted the technology to State and Central government authorities. The company is awaiting approval to bring the technology to market, after which the cost of HONC Gas generators will be finalised.