SEPTEMBER 16, 2024
Babcock & Wilcox’s big bet on hydrogen By Dan Shingler
The Babcock & Wilcox engineering firm of Akron plans to invest at least $60 million in a hydrogen production plant in Massillon. The company is leasing about three acres at the massive 465acre site, which is enough for it to build a small commercial production facility that it hopes to scale up later, said Brandy Johnson, Babcock’s chief technical officer. “We are working on finalizing the financing with the hopes that all gets done soon,” Johnson said. “We have the engineering done and are ready to move forward.” The plant will use Babcock’s BrightLoop technology, which draws on a variety of fuels, from coal and biomass to natural gas, to produce hydrogen. The system is not only efficient but has the key advantage of being able to capture nearly all of the CO2 it produces alongside the hydrogen. Like other processes, it produces more CO2 than hydrogen, but the planet-warming CO2 is easily captured, Johnson said. Or, it can be used in other products, such as aviation fuel, she said. Many energy processes produce far more carbon than most people think. For instance, burning six pounds of gasoline, a gallon produces 20 pounds of CO2 because of the weight of the added oxygen. The Massillon hydrogen plant will produce between three and five tons of hydrogen per day, Johnson said. That’s a small plant, Johnson said. BrightLoop can be scaled up to produce 100 tons or even 200 tons of hydrogen per day, and Babcock already is building much larger facilities in other states.
Crain’s annual 20 In Their 20s series, honors the young leaders of Northeast Ohio who have already established themselves in their respective industries but still have a bright future ahead. From health care to real estate, government to finance, these 20 honorees have worked hard to make a name for themselves in their communities and specialties — but they’re just getting warmed up. PAGE 6
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON MILLER/PIXELATE
$60M plant planned at 465-acre site in Massilon
See HYDROGEN on Page 22
VOL. 45, NO. 34 l COPYRIGHT 2024 CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS INC. l ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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9/13/24 10:48 AM