A new business is moving into part of the former Tenneco auto parts manufacturing plant in Owen Sound.
Green technology company Hydrogen Optimized confirms it has secured a lease that will allow it to scale up to occupy almost 200,000 square feet of industrial space over time at the 17th Street East facility.
Hydrogen Optimized president and CEO Andrew T.B. Stuart says they are a clean technology company that focuses on converting green electricity to green hydrogen through its “RuggedCell” water electrolysis process.
Stuart says this involves the application of an electric current into water to separate its constituents of hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is then used for major industrial, chemical and utility applications to replace fossil fuel use.
“For example, when you want to make steel, instead of using coal to coat iron oxide to iron, you can now use green electricity, produce green hydrogen and exclude the use of coal in order to make steel,” Stuart explains. “It’s really a method of going carbon-neutral.”
Owen Sound Mayor Ian Boddy welcomes the news, calling it a perfect industry to fit with the community’s climate conscious efforts.
“This confirms that Owen Sound is a good place to invest,” Boddy says. “We are very happy.”
Stuart says the company has been based in Collingwood and the business is growing. They chose to locate in Owen Sound as the former auto parts plant meets their needs for a facility that can expand as required.
“Owen Sound has terrific manufacturing land and space,” Stuart says. “Frankly, we needed the type of office building and factory that’s become available here.”
“We will be transforming the old automotive type factory into a clean technology factory,” continues Stuart. “It’s a bit of a trend of the future. We’re thrilled to be putting our roots down here in the Owen Sound community.”
Stuart says initial operations at the facility will be more focused on developmental aspects and in time move towards manufacturing oriented work.
The company isn’t disclosing how many jobs may be created, but a spokesperson says employees will be moving into the facility shortly and there is good potential for strong employment growth in the coming year and beyond.
“If we can find working here in Owen Sound gives us the right economic circumstance, which I’m confident it will, and we see the market for our product grow, we could see a lot of employment here,” explains Stuart.
The former Tenneco/Monroe building was purchased by investors known as Peninsula Pro Growth Group recently, local businessman Peter Van Dolder confirmed to Bayshore Broadcasting News in January.
Van Dolder said at the time the roughly 300,000 square foot space would likely be diversified and possibly divided into smaller units.
Tenneco closed its auto parts manufacturing plant in May 2020 as part of a company restructuring after more than four decades in Owen Sound.
