Solidec makes industrial chemicals like hydrogen peroxide on site from air, water and electricity, so they do not have to be trucked in and stored.

Its reactor holds a porous solid electrolyte between the two electrodes. The chemical forms there and a stream of water carries it out as a pure solution, skipping the separation steps a conventional plant needs. The company says peroxide takes one step instead of the usual seven, and up to three times less energy.

The same reactor design can also make formic acid, acetic acid and syngas. Solidec, a Rice University spin-out in Houston, targets water treatment, semiconductor plants, food and drink producers and mines, and has announced a pilot with Lynas Rare Earths in Australia to produce up to 10 tons a year.