Proton performed a field test on a decommissioned oil well in Saskatchewan
Proton’s potential ultra-low cost hydrogen solution
The Canadian firm's process extracts hydrogen from old oil and gas wells
Sometimes the best solution to a problem is both simple and obvious, at least in retrospect, like wheels on the bottom of a suitcase. Calgary-based startup Proton Technologies’ patented solution for producing ultra-low cost hydrogen, with a carbon footprint lower than green hydrogen produced by wind and solar power on a full-cycle basis, falls under this category. The company’s ‘proton process’, using two established industrial technologies in a new way, extracts hydrogen from old oil and gas wells. “Someone’s abandoned liability becomes our hydrogen field,” Proton CEO Grant Strem tells Hydrogen Economist. “Someone’s abandoned liability becomes our hydrogen field” Strem, Proton Prot
Also in this section
4 February 2026
Europe’s largest electrolyser manufacturers are losing patience with policymakers as sluggish growth in the green hydrogen sector undermines their decision to expand production capacity
2 February 2026
As a fertiliser feedstock, it is indispensable, but ammonia’s potential as a carbon-free energy carrier is also making it central to global decarbonisation strategies
28 January 2026
The development of hydrogen’s distribution system must speed up if the industry is to stand any chance of grabbing a meaningful slice of the low-carbon energy market
14 January 2026
Continent’s governments must seize the green hydrogen opportunity by refining policies and ramping up the development of supply chains and infrastructure
