CDM Smith and Newpoint Gas have signed a partnership agreement on a clean hydrogen project to re-industrialize a former Department of Energy facility in Pike County, Ohio.

Ellen TurnerMarch 21, 2023

(PICKETON, Ohio, March 21, 2023) Taking a significant step forward for a major clean energy and manufacturing project to revitalize the economy in Central Appalachia, Newpoint Gas today announced that CDM Smith will serve as the engineering, procurement and construction . (EPC) support partner h₂Trillium Energy and Manufacturing (part.₂TEAM) complex. h₂The TEAM complex will be owned and operated by Trillium H.₂Power, LLC (tH2Power) and serve as a pivotal development project to launch a reindustrialization concept at the former Department of Energy (DOE) Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) near Picton, Ohio. The complex will be built on reclaimed land once owned by the federal government and donated by the US Department of Energy to the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative, a Department of Energy designated community reuse and economic development organization.

Newpoint has committed to build a $1.585 billion clean hydrogen power plant and a closed circuit plant in Pike County. At the construction stage, h₂TEAM estimates that 1,900 jobs will be created, generating over $346 million in local economic impact. In the long term, in Phase 1, the project is expected to add 237 O&M jobs and more than $198 million per year for the regional economy.

“Newpoint Gas has assembled an exceptional team of industry leaders to₂TEAM complex; said Richard Hamilton, vice president of industrial affairs, CDM Smith. “As a globally recognized leader in sustainable and sustainable design, we are committed to helping our customers decarbonize and we are proud to be the newest members of h₂TEAM. Our strong presence and history in Ohio makes it easy to work together with passion to design, procure and build this exciting project in the Central Appalachians.”

“The addition of CDM Smith as our EPC contractor completes the core group of partners we needed to develop h₂Complex TEAM. With over 75 years of experience in the region, CDM Smith was the clear choice as we work with Ohio labor organizations and other project partners to create hundreds of clean energy jobs in Central Appalachia.” said Wylie Rhodes, CEO of Newpoint Gas. “The reindustrialization of the PORTS facility could be the single most effective driver of economic growth and stability for this region in a single generation.”

Efforts are being made in partnership with state, federal and community leaders, as well as labor unions, to bring back economic stability and prosperity to communities in the region. h₂The TEAM project builds on over a decade of work by the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative (SODI) and Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service to plan, develop, and execute the redevelopment of the PORTS facility.

Today’s agreement continues to strengthen regional support and give momentum to the project. CDM Smith joins Newpoint’s exclusive list of partners, including Ohio-based Babcock & Wilcox as its primary technology partner and JW Didado as its primary electrical contractor. Newpoint also signed a letter of intent with SODI for an exclusive and first-hand option to purchase 250 acres of land at a former DOE gaseous diffusion site in Pike County, Ohio.