(PIKETON, OH – March 21, 2023) In a significant step forward for a major clean energy and manufacturing project that aims to reinvigorate the economy in Central Appalachia, Newpoint Gas today announced that CDM Smith will serve as the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) partner in support of the h2Trillium Energy and Manufacturing (h2TEAM) complex. The h2TEAM complex will be owned and operated by Trillium H2Power, LLC (tH2Power) and serve as the anchor development project to launch the reindustrialization vision at the site of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) facility near Piketon, Ohio. The complex will be built on remediated property once owned by the federal government and deeded by DOE to the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative, the DOE designated community reuse and economic development organization.
Newpoint has committed to building the $1.585 billion clean hydrogen power generation and closed loop manufacturing facility at the Pike County site. In the construction phase, h2TEAM estimates the creation of 1,900 jobs that will generate over $346 million in local economic impact. Long term, in Phase 1 the project is expected to add 237 operations and maintenance jobs and over $198 million annually to the regional economy.
“Newpoint Gas has assembled an exceptional team of industry leaders to deliver the h2TEAM complex;” said Richard Hamilton, Vice President Industrial, CDM Smith. “As a globally recognized leader in sustainable and resilient design, we are committed to helping our clients decarbonize and we are proud to be the newest members of the h2TEAM. Our strong presence and history in Ohio, make it easy to be enthusiastic about working together to engineer, procure and construct this exciting project in Central Appalachia.”
“The addition of CDM Smith as our EPC contractor completes the core group of partners we needed to develop the h2TEAM complex. With over 75 years of experience in the region CDM Smith was the obvious choice as we work with Ohio Labor Organizations and other project partners to bring hundreds of clean energy jobs to Central Appalachia,” said Wiley Rhodes, CEO of Newpoint Gas. “The reindustrialization of the PORTS facility has the opportunity to be the single most impactful driver of economic growth and stability for this region in a generation.”
The effort is being carried out in collaboration with state, federal, and community leaders, as well as organized labor to bring economic stability and prosperity back to the communities in the region. The h2TEAM project builds on more than a decade of work by the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative (SODI) and Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service to plan for, develop, and pursue the redevelopment of the PORTS facility.
Today’s agreement continues to build regional support and momentum for the project. CDM Smith joins an exclusive list of partners Newpoint has established including Ohio-based Babcock & Wilcox to serve as a foundational technology partner and J.W. Didado as the primary electrical contractor. Newpoint has also signed a Letter of Intent with SODI for an exclusive option and right of first refusal to purchase 250 acres of land at the former DOE Gaseous Diffusion Site in Pike County Ohio.
