The Waste Hydrogen Utilization Project (IWHUP) in BC

Treatment of waste hydrogen is being recylced for use in vehicular and stationary power applications in British Columbia, Canada. Captured waste hydrogen gas from places like sodium chlorate plants is being recycled into compressed hydrogen. It is known as the Waste Hydrogen Utilization Project (IWHUP). In the IWHUP project waste hydrogen that is normally burned off is being captured and recycled so that it can be used as fuel. The project in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada where they are building the world’s first small scale liquid hydrogen plant.

This contribution agreement aims to showcase an integrated use of hydrogen in a real-world setting. During the first stage, waste hydrogen from a sodium chlorate manufacturing plant is captured and processed for use as a source of clean power. It is then distributed for use among many applications: passenger buses; cargo trucks; utility vehicles (pick-up trucks) and; stationary power for a car wash facility.

This project represents a comprehensive consortium approach to demonstrating innovative technology through several funding partners and project participants. Together with Sustainable Development Technology Canada, and Natural Resources Canada (through the Canadian Transportation Fuel Cell Alliance), this project’s total costs exceed $18 million. This project allows several stakeholders to contribute to developing solutions for clean energy, while many end-users receive an opportunity to learn new technology applications in their key responsibility areas.

It is expected that new knowledge, solutions, and practices in the use of various hydrogen technologies will be acquired through the operations of the IWHUP project. In addition to the anticipated reduction in harmful emissions, this project’s integrated approach will also allow for an examination of the real-world functionality of the Hydrogen Highway. Eventually, this project’s approach may lead to a significant number of vehicles in the Greater Vancouver Area running on clean power.

This is the type of collaborative project that makes sense both as a model of public-private cooperation and as a practical means of reducing our footprint.

The UWHUP project employs several of the basic building blocks of environmentally sustainable businesses. Its use of recycling, efficiency and alternative energy is be a model that others can follow.

These types of innovative approaches not only demonstrate entirely new strategies, they also show how we can work with existing industrial processes to make them more efficient and better for the environment.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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