Scotland-based Howden, a leading global provider of mission critical air and gas-handling products, technologies and services, has signed a contract to provide five hydrogen diaphragm compressors for Atura Power’s Niagara Hydrogen Centre in Ontario, Canada.

The facility, powered by renewable hydroelectricity, will use electrolysers to produce hydrogen. Howden’s hydrogen compressors will then take the gas from the electrolysers and compress it for on-site short-term mobile storage. This project will be the largest green hydrogen production facility in Ontario, providing industrial consumers with low-carbon hydrogen for immediate consumption and will also be transported and blended into the fuel stream at Atura Power’s Halton Hills Generating Station, creating cleaner electricity for Ontario.

Salah Mahdy, Howden’s global director of renewable hydrogen, said: “We are pleased that our solutions will support Atura Power’s plan to build one of Canada’s largest green energy hubs that will play a key role in reducing greenhouse gases in the region. This contract and approach by working closely with Atura to identify the best compression solution and system design for their needs represents a great example of how we are working with customers to support the energy transition and advance a more sustainable world. Our solution in this project focuses on safe, cost-effective, and efficient hydrogen compression followed by on-going support to ensure plant efficiency and reliability.”

Atura Power’s president Shelley Babin said: “Atura Power has a leading position in the emerging Ontario hydrogen economy, and the completion of the Niagara Hydrogen Centre will allow us to reach our goal of being the first low-carbon hydrogen producer in the province.”

Howden is taking a leadership role in hydrogen compression and the energy transition through development and supply of its hydrogen compressors, technology and services, announcing a number of important projects in 2022. Crucial contracts in the last year have included: supplying hydrogen compressors for the largest hydrogen refuelling station in the world in China and for the refuelling stations at the Beijing Winter Olympics; creating solutions for the first fossil-free steel plant in the world in Sweden; and supporting the world’s first climate neutral fuel (eFuel) plant located in Chile.

The company focuses on helping customers increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their air and gas handling processes, enabling them to make sustainable improvements in their environmental impact. Howden designs, manufactures and supplies products, solutions and services to customers around the world across highly diversified end-markets and geographies.

The business recently announced its target to be carbon ‘net zero’ by 2035 and in addition is focused on providing service and solutions to assisting the sustainability and decarbonisation efforts of its customers.