Montreal, Canada is poised to become a significant player in the burgeoning green hydrogen industry, as ABB and Charbone Hydrogen ally to spearhead scalable hydrogen production facilities across North America. In a strategic move, the two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop 15 modular green hydrogen plants over the next half-decade. This initiative responds to the growing industrial reliance on grey hydrogen, prevalent in sectors like steelmaking, by introducing a sustainable alternative fuel.
ABB’s role in this venture encompasses designing, engineering, and supplying modular electrical substations, which are crucial for the efficient interconnection of Charbone’s facilities with local utility grids. This partnership also marks ABB’s involvement in standardizing engineering systems, potentially extending into key areas such as automation, electrification, and telecommunications, tailored to the specific demands of each project.
The collaboration’s pilot project is Charbone’s Sorel-Tracy facility, strategically situated near Montreal and slated for integration with the Hydro-Québec grid by mid-2025. Utilizing hydroelectric power, this plant will exemplify clean hydrogen production through advanced electrolyzer technology. The insights gained here will inform the development of similarly structured installations across North America, with the next major initiative set for Detroit, a vital locale for the automotive industry.
In the context of the broader market, global hydrogen demand continues to rise, spurred particularly by the refining and chemical sectors which consumed 97 megatons (Mt) in 2023. This consumption represents a mild yet notable increase of 2.5% from the previous year. The current capacity for low-emissions hydrogen production stands at less than 1Mt, but projections suggest a dramatic growth to 49Mt annually by 2030, driven by both existing projects and future endeavors like those initiated by Charbone Hydrogen.
A voice within the industry, Daniel Charette, COO of Charbone Hydrogen, has highlighted the significance of the collaboration, emphasizing its potential impact on the North American market. He notes: “This partnership underscores our dedication to advancing green hydrogen production. The progress at Sorel-Tracy underscores our modular strategy’s effectiveness in rapidly commencing production, thus accelerating industrial decarbonization.”
