CANADA (From news reports) -- US-based developer Elemental Clean Fuels (ECF) plans to build a 10MW green hydrogen plant in British Columbia, Canada, that will replace portions of natural gas used at a pulp mill.

Having partnered with Sc.wén̓wen Economic Development and Kruger Kamloops Pulp, ECF intends to install an electrolyser at the site of Kruger's Kamloops pulp mill.

The up to four tonnes per day of hydrogen generated by the facility would replace around 16% of the mill's natural gas use, which could cut carbon dioxide emissions by around 7,000 tonnes per year.

Additionally, the 32 tonnes of oxygen produced through electrolysis daily would be reused in the mill's operations to improve pulp processing and whitening, while reducing the use of "harsher chemicals".

Kruger acquired the Kamloops mill from Domtar in 2022. The facility manufactures softwood kraft pulp.

According to the Sc.wén̓wen Economic Development website, the project has already completed initial feasibility work and is now in front-end engineering design.

"The partners are working to finalise long-term hydrogen offtake agreements and reach a positive final investment decision (FID)," an ECF statement said.

However, the partners have not revealed when the project could begin operations.

It comes as ECF's first publicly announced project after it launched in 2023. The company describes itself as a "technology agnostic" development firm focused on building projects in North America.