Hycamite, Karleby

• Assignment: Hycamite TCD Technologies hydrogen production building
• Client: KIP Infra Oy
• Project Type: Production hall, laboratory and office, Industry
• Size: 4000 m²
• Contract Type: EPC-Contract
• Project Scope: Industrial property of approximately 4,000 m² in total. The facility produces 2,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year, along with 6,000 tonnes of carbon as a byproduct.
• City, Country: Karleby, Finland
• Status: Completed
• Year of Completion: 2024

Jake Builds Hydrogen Production Facility

At the Kokkola Industrial Park (KIP), Jake constructed a production facility complete with warehouse, laboratory, and office space for a truly unique tenant: Hycamite TCD Technologies. The completed project stands as Europe’s largest emission-free hydrogen production facility. Using its proprietary technology, Hycamite produces clean hydrogen and solid carbon for industrial applications by splitting methane molecules without generating emissions. The process is unique and attracting significant global interest.

“For this project, it was essential to find high-quality, durable, and user-focused solutions while also ensuring that the production facilities could be delivered cost-effectively and on a fast schedule. We had worked with Jake before and knew they had successfully completed projects for others in the industry, which contributed to our decision to choose them,” says Kristian Vähähyyppä, Property Manager at KIP Infra Oy.

Construction Started in the Bitter Cold

Construction began in January 2024 in temperatures as low as -25°C (-13°F).

“We started with preliminary permit drawings and continued detailed design while construction was already underway. Within 16 weeks, we had progressed far enough with the production facilities for Hycamite to begin installing its production equipment,” says Jonny Asplund, Sales Director at Jake.

A Tenant with Specialized Requirements

Hycamite is now transitioning from the testing phase to industrial-scale hydrogen production. Hydrogen can be sold as fuel for industrial applications or used as a production feedstock. The process can utilize either LNG (liquefied natural gas) or biomethane as raw material. In addition to hydrogen, methane splitting generates significant amounts of carbon as a byproduct. Hycamite’s proprietary process captures this carbon in solid form, which is then supplied to customers as graphite for a variety of applications, including electric vehicle batteries.

Naturally, Hycamite’s ambitious goals created highly specialized requirements for the facility.

“We have addressed a wide range of special requirements related to water, wastewater, electricity, gas, district heating, ventilation, and explosion and fire safety. Together with Hycamite’s specialists, we also developed numerous custom solutions for the laboratories,” says Jake CEO Johan Asplund.

Kristian Vähähyyppä notes that the parties encountered challenging issues throughout the project, but consistently succeeded in finding good solutions together.

“We value Jake’s local presence, flexibility, and familiarity with the KIP area, as well as their skilled personnel. I would especially like to highlight Jens Mård, the site manager, who has done an excellent job leading the construction site and coordinating the various work phases and stakeholders involved,” he says.

Planning Meetings

The tenant, Hycamite, has been involved in the planning of the property from the outset and, like the client KIP Infra, appreciates all the planning meetings organized by Jake Rakennus during the construction phase.

“From the outset, Jake took Hycamite’s input into account throughout the construction process. In practice, this was achieved through regular meetings that ensured effective collaboration between all project stakeholders. When necessary, Jake was also able to adapt to changes that Hycamite needed to make to the facility, even on short notice,” says Mathias Ukskoski, Technology Concept Director at Hycamite.

New Facility Enables Future Expansion

At a press event held on September 5, Hycamite´s Laura Rahikka and Matti Malkamäki enthusiastically showcased the company’s new production facility. Rahikka notes that Kokkola Industrial Park is an excellent location for Hycamite.

“The infrastructure is already in place, and there is access to both service providers and skilled labor in the area. The site was exactly the right size for Hycamite’s facility, and we chose new construction because it provides greater opportunities for future expansion,” she says.

Hycamite is a startup founded in 2020. The company is backed by a group of Finnish investment firms as well as Japan’s Sojitz Group. Today, Hycamite employs more than 60 people. According to Rahikka, the company’s strength lies in its dedicated team of investors and experts working together to enable the rapid global expansion of emission-free hydrogen production. She emphasizes the importance of collaboration and notes that Hycamite has enjoyed a highly successful partnership with Jake throughout the construction process.

“Jake’s strengths are solid professional expertise, flexibility, and a strong ability to serve its customers,” she says.

A Challenging but Exciting Assignment

Jake CEO Johan Asplund describes the project as demanding but highly rewarding. The facility and its purpose align closely with Jake’s vision of becoming a Nordic leader in sustainable construction.

“We are proud and excited to have had the opportunity to help build a truly unique facility featuring innovative technology that enables industrial-scale hydrogen production. This is one of only three similar pilot projects currently being built anywhere in the world,” says Jonny Asplund.