ABB and Hydrogen Optimized to collaborate on green hydrogen 

ABB has signed an agreement with Canadian technology innovator Hydrogen Optimized Inc. (HOI), a company that is engaged in unlocking green hydrogen production at scale, aimed at expanding the partnership and including an investment in HOI’s parent company Key DH Technologies Inc. (KEY).

The partners are seeking to accelerate the fast-emerging green hydrogen production segment with unique large-scale architecture. The signing of the agreement follows the two companies’ showcase of their green hydrogen technologies at the August 23, 2022 German-Canadian Atlantic Renewable Hydrogen Expo in Stephenville, Newfoundland, which was attended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Hydrogen produced with low-to-zero carbon dioxide emissions is widely recognised 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 decarbonise hard-to-abate industries that address a wide range of essential needs – energy, metals, cement, utilities, ammonia, fertilisers, and fuels for aircraft, ships, trucks and rail.

The companies will leverage their respective capabilities and resources to rapidly commercialise HOI’s patented RuggedCell high-power water electrolysis technology for the world’s largest green hydrogen plants. RuggedCell technology converts renewable electricity such as hydro, solar and wind power into green hydrogen for industry.

Global electrolyser capacity will reach an estimated 3,100 gigawatts by 2050, according to a June 2022 report published by DNV. The group forecasts that electricity-based green hydrogen will be the dominant form of hydrogen production by the middle of this century, accounting for 72 percent of output.

The proceeds of ABB’s investment into KEY, led by ABB Technology Ventures (ATV), will be used to advance HOI’s intellectual property development, build up corporate capabilities for increased business activity and introduce automated manufacturing and robotics. This will accelerate the rollout of gigawatt-scale electrolyser manufacturing.