Vema Hydrogen Completes World’s First Engineered Mineral Hydrogen™ Pilot Wells in Quebec

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vema Hydrogen, developer of a low-cost and clean hydrogen production technology - Engineered Mineral Hydrogen™, completed drilling its first two pilot wells in Quebec, marking the world’s first Engineered Mineral Hydrogen™ pilot wells. The project represents a major step in testing Vema’s approach at scale to produce clean, baseload hydrogen directly from subsurface rock formations.

Across North America, rising industrial activity, electrification, and the rapid expansion of AI-driven data centers are putting unprecedented pressure on regional power systems. In the wake of this, Canada is searching for domestic sources of clean energy that can strengthen grid resilience and support long-term decarbonization goals. Vema Hydrogen has identified that Quebec’s geology offers a unique opportunity to extract Engineered Mineral Hydrogen, which has the capacity to support the fast-growing e-fuel and clean mobility industries, providing shipping and air transport markets with low-cost and clean fuels.

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The Quebec pilot is the first field deployment of this technology, transitioning years of laboratory research into a controlled subsurface environment where Vema can gather the data required to advance commercial modeling. Via these wellbores, Vema will begin a structured program of subsurface analysis to evaluate fluid movement and monitor for hydrogen production during testing. These activities are designed to generate the data required to refine Vema’s models and guide the next phase of commercialization, advancing the maturity of Vema’s technology by documenting a proof of concept in a field environment.

“Vema Hydrogen perfectly embodies the spirit of the grey to green movement: transforming mining liabilities into drivers of innovation and ecological transition. This project demonstrates that it is possible to reconcile the revitalization of mining regions, clean energy, and sustainable economic development for these areas.” - Ludovic Beauregard, circular economy commissioner at the Thetford Region Economic Development Corporation.

The Quebec pilot is a decisive step in bringing Engineered Mineral Hydrogen™ out of the lab and into the field, accelerating Vema’s commercial pathway and strengthening Quebec’s position as a leader in next-generation energy innovation. By transforming underutilized local terrain into a high-capacity energy asset, Vema is charting a clear route toward gigawatt-scale hydrogen supply that can attract and power high-value industries, support regional growth, and redefine what’s possible for decarbonization in North America.

Vema Hydrogen continues to build on a period of rapid progress, marked by commercial traction, technical advancement, and strategic partnerships. Most recently, Vema entered into a 10-year hydrogen purchase and sale agreement with Verne Power to supply clean hydrogen for data centers across California - one of the fastest growing energy markets in the world. Vema was also recognized as a Qualified Supplier by the First Public Hydrogen Authority (FPH2), enabling Vema to support California’s clean energy transition through future hydrogen supply to FPH2’s statewide network.

“Moving from benchtop experiments to real-world field environments is a complex but essential step in bringing EMH to energy-intensive industries,” said Pierre Levin, CEO of Vema Hydrogen. “This pilot will provide the critical data needed to validate Engineered Mineral Hydrogen at commercial scale and demonstrate that Quebec can lead the world in this emerging clean energy category. The quality of the rock within our core samples is exactly what we expected, and is very promising for hydrogen yields.”

About Vema Hydrogen

Vema Hydrogen is a U.S. producer of low-carbon hydrogen, offering a new path to a clean energy future. The company's unique technology, Engineered Mineral Hydrogen™ (EMH), harnesses naturally occurring chemical reactions below the Earth's surface to produce high-purity hydrogen. By applying geoscience to de-risk production and ensure predictable, cost-competitive output, Vema makes clean hydrogen a viable solution for large-scale industrial energy and baseload power needs. More https://www.vema.earth/.