Development plans for low-carbon hydrogen have spread to the Atlantic seaboard of Canada, with technology and infrastructure firms from the United States playing key roles.

New York-based Plug Power Inc. sold a 5 MW electrolyzer to the top Canadian refinery, Irving Oil in New Brunswick. The 320,000 b/d refinery plans to conduct trials to produce hydrogen with no greenhouse gas emissions. Electrolyzers use electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

“Low-carbon hydrogen production, use and distribution will play an important role,” said Irving Oil President Ian Whitcomb. “This foundational project will accelerate our company’s learning about hydrogen as a downstream product while creating a decarbonization pathway for our Saint John refinery.”

Irving...