InEnTec And Columbia Ridge Facility Achieve Mechanical Completion Of Hydrogen Plant, Initiate Commissioning

InEnTec, Inc. has completed construction of its Columbia Ridge waste-to-hydrogen facility in Arlington, Oregon marking a major step in the clean energy transition. Using its patented Plasma Enhanced Melter® (PEM®) technology, the plant converts waste into low-carbon hydrogen while producing no hazardous byproducts. The project supports local jobs and demonstrates how waste-to-hydrogen can deliver reliable, cost-competitive fuel to decarbonize transportation, industry, and power.

RICHLAND, Wash., Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- InEnTec, Inc. today announced that the InEnTec Columbia Ridge (ICR) facility in Arlington, OR has achieved mechanical completion of its new $8 million hydrogen production plant and expansion, marking a major milestone in bringing advanced waste-to-hydrogen technology to market. The plant is now entering an 8-12 week commissioning process, with first production of fuel cell-grade hydrogen beginning later this year.

Hydrogen from Columbia Ridge will contribute to the clean energy transition, aligning with state and federal initiatives to decarbonize transportation, industry, and power generation. Once fully operational, the Columbia Ridge plant will initially produce between 600 to 1,100 kilograms of hydrogen per day, depending on feedstock. That volume is enough to power fuel cell vehicles for up to 80,000 miles of travel per day. A planned expansion to the facility will ultimately more than double its output, further addressing the growing market demand for clean transportation fuels in the Pacific Northwest's industrial market.

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"This validates decades of work to advance our technology and demonstrates that waste-to-hydrogen can deliver reliable, low-carbon fuel at scale," said Jeff Surma, CEO of InEnTec, Inc..

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

At the core of the process is InEnTec's patented Plasma Enhanced Melter® (PEM®) gasification technology that converts nearly 100% of incoming organics into synthesis gas from which purified hydrogen is recovered. The PEM gasifier has been validated on diverse feedstocks, including municipal solid waste, biomass, electronic waste, unrecycled plastics, PVC, textiles, automotive shredder residue, and industrial waste. The gasifier generates a non-hazardous, vitrified glass byproduct from the inorganic fraction of the feedstock and does not produce potentially hazardous ash and char byproducts.

Unlike electrolysis, which requires large amounts of electricity, InEnTec's PEM process uses a fraction of that energy per kilogram of hydrogen produced. Early operations will draw about half the power of electrolysis, with planned system refinements expected to reduce energy use to roughly one-quarter. This energy advantage makes waste-to-hydrogen a practical, cost-competitive solution to meet the growing need for clean hydrogen.

Beyond the technology itself, Columbia Ridge is delivering tangible community benefits. The project has already created construction jobs and will support 10–15 full-time positions, adding stable, high-quality employment to the local economy. As one of the first facilities of its kind, it shows how clean hydrogen production can strengthen communities while advancing national energy priorities, and provide a model that can be replicated across the U.S. and abroad. "Hydrogen is essential to a decarbonized economy, and InEnTec is demonstrating that waste-t