Accelera to supply 90 MW electrolyzer system in Quebec

Accelera by Cummins, the zero-emissions business segment of Cummins formerly known as New Power, will supply a 90 MW proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer system for Varennes Carbon Recycling’s (VCR) plant in Quebec, Canada.

Accelera by Cummins will supply four HyLyzer-5000 electrolyzers to Varennes Carbon Recycling’s (VCR) plant in Quebec, Canada. (Photo: Accelera)

VCR is a consortium between Shell, Suncor and Proman, with the support of the Canadian and Quebec governments, that will produce biofuels and circular chemicals made from non-recyclable waste and residual biomass. The biorefinery will be powered by the exclusive waste-to-methanol technology platform developed by Enerkem.

“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 electrolyser, powered with Quebec clean electricity, really set a new precedent in the biofuel and circular chemicals sectors. We are looking forward to this new strategic partnership.”

This electrolyzer system will be comprised of four HyLyzer-5000s – Accelera’s largest electrolyzer product. Each HyLyzer-5000 utilizes 25 MW of electricity and can produce up to 10 tons of hydrogen per day. This first-of-its-kind installation will provide the capacity needed to generate clean, renewable hydrogen and oxygen for VCR’s conversion of waste material to low-carbon-intensity fuels and circular chemicals. The facility is under construction and scheduled to be operational in 2025.

“Our partnership with VCR illustrates Accelera’s role as a global technology leader and highlights our ability to scale hydrogen production across a variety of industries,” said Accelera president Amy Davis. “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.”