A green energy company in Owen Sound is getting a boost from the federal government to help it build the world’s largest electrolysis cell.
Hydrogen Optimized, which now operates out of the former Tenneco Plant on the city’s east side has been awarded $4.8 million of federal funding to support its $12 million program to advance, scale, and commercialize its technology.
Through its patented RuggedCell water electrolysis, it enables the production of Green Hydrogen from green electricity to support heavy fossil fuel-use industries.
Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MP Alex Ruff said in the House of Commons last week, “I had the opportunity to meet with Hydrogen Optimized and tour their facility, and I believe it is important to continue to invest in Canadian, cutting-edge clean technology,” adding, “This Canadian company is playing a part in advancing our global leadership in the clean tech market, helping the environment while creating jobs and economic growth in the riding and eventually across Canada.”
In a statement, Hydrogen Optimized CEO Andrew T.B. Stuart says, “The funding will enable development and demonstration of the world’s largest electrolysis cell,” adding, “This will allow economic future implementation of large-scale clean hydrogen production systems in the many hundreds of megawatts without replicating small units. Deployment of these large-scale systems are required to meet Canada’s climate change objectives.”
Ruff says, if they’re successful it could mean hundreds of local jobs in the coming years, saying, “To me, this is a smart investment.”
Owen Sound Mayor Ian Boddy says, “This is really good news for the city and for the company. They’re on the cutting edge really, of technology change with new fuels and different ways of doing things, so we’re pretty excited for them.”
Boddy Points out the technology has developed as a result of four generations of advancements by the Stuart family.
The company’s website says it started in 1905 when Alexander Thomas Stuart was inspired by his summer job at Niagara falls to come up with a way to use the electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen and oxygen. In 1913, he produced the Stuart Cell, which the company says became one of the world’s leading electrolysis systems for the next 100 years.
You can read more about that history and today’s technology at hydrogenoptimized.com
My statement in the @OurCommons to congratulate @h_optimized on all their success thus far, and look forward to seeing what they will accomplish in the future. #cleanenergy @TedDBStuart #BruceGreyOwenSound pic.twitter.com/66POPm6gz0
— Alex Ruff (@AlexRuff17) June 1, 2021