ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Irving Oil is expanding hydrogen capacity at its Saint John, N.B., refinery in a bid to lower carbon emissions and offer clean energy to customers.
The family-owned company says it has a deal with New York-based Plug Power Inc. to purchase a five-megawatt hydrogen electrolyzer.
It says the apparatus will create two tonnes of hydrogen a day — equivalent to fuelling 60 buses with hydrogen — using electricity from the local grid.
Irving says its refinery currently produces hydrogen using natural gas.
The New Brunswick company says it will be the first oil refinery in Canada to invest in electrolyzer technology.
Irving says its goal is to offer hydrogen fuelling infrastructure in Atlantic Canada.