InEnTec completes construction of Oregon waste-to-hydrogen facility

InEnTec Inc., headquartered in Richmond, Washington, has finished construction and mechanical completion of its new InEnTec Columbia Ridge (ICR) waste-to-hydrogen facility in Arlington, Oregon. The plant now enters an 8–12-week commissioning phase, with the first production of fuel cell-grade hydrogen expected in late 2025.

Using InEnTec’s patented Plasma Enhanced Melter (PEM) technology, the $8 million production plant and expansion project will convert materials into low-carbon hydrogen while producing no hazardous byproducts.

PEM gasification technology converts nearly 100 percent of incoming organics into synthesis gas from which purified hydrogen is recovered. To date, the technology has been validated on a variety of feedstocks, including municipal solid waste, biomass, electronic waste, unrecycled plastics, polyvinyl chloride, textiles, automotive shredder residue and industrial waste. It generates nonhazardous, vitrified glass byproduct from the inorganic fraction of the feedstock and does not produce potentially hazardous ash and char byproducts, according to InEnTec. Early operations will draw approximately half the power of electrolysis, with planned system refinements anticipated to reduce energy use to roughly one quarter.

Once fully operational, the ICR plant is expected to initially produce between 1,320 to 2,200 pounds (600 to 1,100 kilograms) of hydrogen per day, depending on feedstock, and a planned facility expansion will more than double its output.

"Mechanical completion of the Columbia Ridge hydrogen facility is a major launch point for InEnTec,” Jeff Surma, CEO of InEnTec, says. “It validates decades of work to advance our technology and demonstrates that waste-to-hydrogen can deliver reliable, low-carbon fuel at scale."

The project will contribute to a clean energy transition, has created construction jobs and will support 10-15 full-time positions.

"Hydrogen is essential to a decarbonized economy, and InEnTec is demonstrating that waste-to-hydrogen offers a reliable, commercially viable pathway," Surma says.