Powertech Labs Inc., a commercial subsidiary of BC Hydro, has launched a new U.S. subsidiary specializing in hydrogen transport and fueling infrastructure. The newly formed company, Powertech USA Inc., is the result of a strategic acquisition from LIFTE H2, a hydrogen infrastructure engineering and development company headquartered in Boston. Powertech USA will provide a family of infrastructure solutions including hydrogen export systems, high-capacity transport trailers, mobile refuelers, and high-pressure fueling stations. Together, these solutions form the market’s first end-to-end hydrogen fueling and transportation solution – integrating the movement of hydrogen from the production outlet to the vehicle inlet.
“This acquisition propels Powertech Labs towards an accelerated growth trajectory, unlocking emerging opportunities in the hydrogen field, and improving our access to the US market,” said Pierre Poulain, President & CEO, Powertech Labs. “In addition to growing our infrastructure product offerings, acquiring the LIFTE H2 team greatly expands our collective technical expertise to best serve the market.”
Powertech USA will be led by Angie Ackroyd, the former Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of LIFTE H2, who has deep expertise in product development, safety, and construction management in the hydrogen and energy space.
“The hydrogen experts at LIFTE H2 designed solutions that are game changing for the hydrogen transition,” said Angie Ackroyd, President of Powertech USA. “Combining these innovations with the long-standing expertise and well-established reputation and capacity of Powertech Labs will significantly advance the hydrogen industry in North America.”
Powertech Labs has a long history in the hydrogen market, marking a pivotal milestone more than two decades ago with the world’s first 700-bar hydrogen fast-fill fueling station. Beyond its product offering, Powertech Labs also plays a critical role in the market as one of the largest testing laboratories in North America dedicated to high-pressure testing enabling the global energy sector to bring new, sustainable solutions forward.
As a subsidiary of BC Hydro, a provincial Crown corporation, Powertech Labs plays an instrumental role in supporting BC Hydro and the Government of British Columbia in their hydrogen strategy, and more broadly in B.C.’s CleanBC plan to lower climate-changing emissions by 40 percent by 2030.
