ABB and Hydrogen Optimized, the Canadian technology firm aiming to unlock green hydrogen production at scale, have signed an agreement to expand the companies’ existing strategic relationship.
This includes an investment by ABB into Key DH Technologies (KEY), the parent company of HOI, as they seek to accelerate the fast-emerging green hydrogen production segment with unique large-scale architecture.
The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Hydrogen produced with low-to-zero carbon dioxide emissions is widely recognized as essential to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
By accelerating the strategic collaboration between ABB and HOI launched in 2020, the two companies are advancing the deployment of economic large-scale green hydrogen production systems to decarbonize hard-to-abate industries, they said.
These would include energy, metals, cement, utilities, ammonia, fertilizers, and fuels for aircraft, ships, trucks and rail.
The companies will leverage their respective capabilities and resources to rapidly commercialize HOI’s patented RuggedCell high-power water electrolysis technology for the world’s largest green hydrogen plants.
Water electrolysis is the process of applying electrical energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
RuggedCell technology converts renewable electricity such as hydro, solar and wind power into green hydrogen for industry.
ABB Process Industries division president Joachim Braun said: “We look forward to building on our companies’ two-year working relationship to pursue the enormous global opportunity of green hydrogen.
“Following a rigorous validation of the RuggedCell technology, we are confident that, in combination with ABB’s high-power rectifiers, it can become a category leader in the large-scale green hydrogen segment.
“Our complementary technologies will strengthen the Hydrogen Optimized value proposition and fast-track the commercialization of the RuggedCell.”
President and chief executive of KEY and HOI Andrew T B Stuart said: “This agreement positions us for success in the large-scale segment with customers requiring installations in the hundreds of megawatts to multi-gigawatts.
“ABB’s global footprint, commercial relationships and technology leadership in high-power rectifiers, distributed control systems and manufacturing automation provide us with the market reach and capabilities to achieve our company’s goals.”