Accelera, a subsidiary of U.S.-based power technology firm Cummins, has secured a contract to supply a 90-MW proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer system for green energy supplier Varennes Carbon Recycling’s (VCR) facility in Quebec, Canada.
The biorefinery will use Canadian clean technology firm Enerkem’s waste-to-methanol technology platform to produce low-carbon-intensity fuels and circular chemicals.
The electrolyzer system will consist of four Cummins HyLYZER-5000s, which is Accelera’s largest electrolyzer product. Each HyLYZER-5000 is capable of utilizing 25 MW of electricity and producing up to 10 tons of hydrogen daily.
“This project will be the first installation of Accelera’s HyLYZER-5000, which generates five times more hydrogen than any of our PEM electrolyzer products currently in use and can accommodate the power needs for large-scale hydrogen production,” said Amy Davis, President of Accelera by Cummins. “Additionally, this is the first time our electrolyzers will power biofuel and circular chemical production, showcasing our unique capabilities to innovate and meet customer demands while accelerating the shift to net-zero emissions.”
This installation is expected to provide the necessary capacity to produce clean, renewable hydrogen and oxygen for VCR’s waste-to-fuel and circular chemicals conversion process. The VCR facility is currently under construction and is expected to commence operations in 2025.
An electrolyzer is a device that uses electricity to break water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen can then be stored as a compressed liquid or gas and used to help decarbonize a variety of hard-to abate sectors, such as industrial processes and heavy-duty transportation.
The VCR facility will use both renewable hydrogen and oxygen to recycle carbon and hydrogen from waste materials.
“Accelera’s PEM electrolyzer product, when coupled with the Enerkem technology platform, will double the yield of the methanol produced from waste material,” said Cole Henderson, General Manager & Portfolio Engineering Director at VCR. “The synergies of the colocation of the biorefinery and the electrolyzer, powered with Quebec clean electricity, really set a new precedent in the biofuel and circular chemicals sectors.”
VCR is a consortium between Proman, Suncor and Shell, supported by the Canadian and Quebec governments.
