Johnson Matthey has come a long way since being founded in 1817. For over two centuries, JM has helped tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges. And they’re continuing to do so today, using advanced metals chemistry expertise and technology solutions to enable the world’s leading energy, chemicals and automotive companies to decarbonise and reduce harmful emissions.
With global challenges of climate change, energy supply and resource scarcity more pressing than ever before, Johnson Matthey is making it their purpose to catalyse the net zero transition for their customers, and millions of people every day.
Learn more about JM's contribution to the ēQATOR project by reading the interview below, in which Andrew Steele explains the role of the organisation within the project and the vision and goals that shape the development of ēQATOR reactor technologies.
Andrew Steele
INTERVIEW
Please introduce yourself and your role in the project.
My name is Andrew Steele, and I’m a Principal Scientist at Johnson Matthey. In the ēQATOR project, I lead our technical contributions related to catalyst development and reactor integration, ensuring our materials perform optimally under electrically heated conditions.
How did you learn about the project and become a partner?
Johnson Matthey was approached to join the ēQATOR consortium due to our long-standing expertise in catalysis and our strategic focus on sustainable technologies. The project aligns closely with our mission to enable cleaner, more efficient chemical processes, and I became involved through our internal innovation and partnerships team. Johnson Matthey has already collaborated with several of the ēQATOR partners in previous projects, which has proven to be a real advantage. These established relationships have enabled smoother communication, faster alignment on technical goals, and a shared understanding of project expectations. This foundation of trust and familiarity has significantly accelerated early-stage integration and innovation within the consortium.
What is your organisation's role in the project, and what expertise do you bring to the table?
Our role is to develop and supply advanced catalytic materials tailored for use in electrically heated reforming reactors. We bring decades of experience in catalyst design, process intensification, and industrial-scale implementation, particularly in hydrogen and methanol production technologies.
How is your organisation collaborating with other partners in the project?
We work closely with both academic and industrial partners to co-develop and validate reactor systems. This includes sharing data, aligning on performance metrics, and integrating our catalysts into novel reactor designs. Regular technical meetings and collaborative testing ensure that our contributions are well-aligned with the broader project goals.
How do your project activities contribute to the goal of the project to achieve a cost-competitive renewable methanol production with near zero CO2 emissions?
Our catalysts are designed to operate efficiently under resistive and microwave heating, which significantly reduces the energy demand and physical footprint of the reactors. This directly supports the project’s goal of decarbonizing syngas production and enabling cost-effective, low-emission methanol synthesis.
Regarding your tasks, what do you expect are or will be the greatest challenges during the project?
One of the key challenges is ensuring catalyst stability and performance under unconventional heating methods. Additionally, scaling up these technologies from lab to industrial scale while maintaining efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness will require close coordination across the consortium.
If you had one wish regarding the project, what would it be?
My wish would be for the ēQATOR project to demonstrate a clear, scalable pathway for electrified chemical manufacturing—one that can be replicated across other sectors to accelerate the transition to net-zero industrial processes.