A leader in the decarbonization of global energy systems, Modern Hydrogen is transforming how industries reduce carbon emissions while maintaining energy reliability.
At the forefront is CEO and co-founder Tony Pan, a visionary physicist with over 250 patents pending. Pan’s work in clean hydrogen production through methane pyrolysis has earned him recognition from the Puget Sound Business Journal and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Review for his contributions to clean energy.
Pan’s gigaton-scale vision: Decarbonizing natural gas with bold solutions
Tony Pan, CEO, Modern Hydrogen
"I always wanted to work on climate change," Pan said. "Modern Hydrogen was born from the idea that we can provide both clean hydrogen and clean solid carbon to be used in industry. We achieve this by decarbonizing natural gas at the customer site, leveraging the millions of miles of gas infrastructure already in the ground, avoiding the need for society to spend trillions on new infrastructure and reducing CO2 emissions on a massive scale."
Pan’s experience spans an impressive array of scientific and leadership roles. He holds a bachelor of science from Stanford University, a doctorate in physics from Harvard University and was awarded national fellowships from Hertz, Soros and the National Science Foundation.
Earlier in his career, he held roles such as strategist with Goldman Sachs and pro bono consultant on global health with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Global Good Fund. He has served as a member of the Global Future Councils on Energy & Entrepreneurship and an entrepreneur in residence and consulting inventor with the Invention Science Fund. Pan is also a term member with the Council on Foreign Relations.
Co-founding Modern Hydrogen in 2015, Pan leverages his deep technical expertise to address what he considers one of the biggest challenges of our time — reducing the carbon footprint of natural gas, which accounts for over 20% of global CO2 emissions. His methane pyrolysis technology enables the extraction of clean hydrogen from natural gas, leaving behind modern carbon, a solid carbon that can be used in asphalt due to its unique properties, rather than being released into the atmosphere.
"After multiple successful pilots with customers, we’re thrilled to bring our first utility-scale commercial clean hydrogen generation unit to life in 2025. This is a pivotal step in our mission to make a significant impact on climate change, proving that sustainable solutions can be practical and transformative," he said.
Modern Hydrogen plans to expand its decentralized hydrogen systems, which are crucial for utilities like National Grid Partners, NW Natural and NextEra Energy. This localized production eliminates costly, energy-intensive hydrogen transportation, making it a game-changer for industries and heavy transport that struggle to decarbonize. "Our goal is to decarbonize the natural gas grid globally," Pan said. "Achieving this could reduce CO2 emissions by up to 10 gigatons annually — four times the emissions from the entire airline and shipping industries combined."
As the global push for cleaner energy intensifies, Pan believes the company’s technology will play a critical role in reducing carbon emissions while creating new industries around hydrogen and solid carbon products.
"Reducing emissions isn’t just about mitigating climate change," he said. "It’s about creating jobs, fostering innovation and winning the industries of the future for the next generation."
For more information, visit modernhydrogen.com.
