Hydrogen as a clean fuel alternative is certainly nothing new — but you likely haven’t heard of using hydrogen that’s electrolyzed from distilled water for fuel-efficient combustion! Meet HYGN Energy Inc., a trailblazer in harnessing hydrogen technology for a cleaner future. Their innovative electrolysis-based approach reduces vehicle emissions and is helping to transform transportation and energy landscapes.
HYGN Energy has developed a transitional technology for combustion-engine vehicles by utilizing hydrogen and oxygen to optimize fuel efficiency, extend vehicle performance and reduce tailpipe pollution. This transitional device is cost-effective and especially useful for vehicles that are too difficult or specialized to electrify.
Through a pilot study with a Canadian city, data demonstrated that HYGN’s technology enables up to 30 percent fuel savings and reduces fuel emissions between 60 and 80 percent. These results are significant for fleet management and transportation companies that are using diesel engine vehicles. By installing HYGN’s transitional technology they could increase fuel savings and decrease their carbon emissions today.
Thomas Ross, the Founder of HYGN, was introduced to hydrogen technology from a young age. Ross recalls, “I have been working with hydrogen my whole life. I was always helping my father work on some type of experiment. I didn’t realize it at the time, but he was always giving me the coolest R&D projects.” Bill Ross, Thomas’ father and Director of Research at HYGN was the visionary behind the initial prototype of the decentralized electrolyzer technology.
Ross had the technology but was looking for partnerships that could help HYGN grow. Through his search for help, he connected with the Centre for Integrated Transportation and Mobility (CITM) at Innovation Factory. CITM, backed by the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN), is an accelerator program that helps innovators with smart, connected and electrified transportation and infrastructure solutions. Since becoming a client of CITM, Ross has accessed expert mentorship to guide him through marketing, branding and sales positioning to support both client and investor relations. This support has also been integral in forming supply chain partnerships, developing a company roadmap, and developing the relationships for initial vehicle and energy storage technology validation projects.
As an early-stage startup, HYGN is navigating this journey with unwavering enthusiasm and has shown significant promise through the milestones they have achieved. “We’ve had a lot of exciting things happening lately. We have been working on closing our first round of financing and during that process, we finalized our first sales as well,” shared Ross. HYGN recently closed with Muskoka Futures, securing an initial investment of $250,000. This enabled the team to register patents for their exciting new technology.
Ross and his team also secured their first round of sales with the City of Kawartha Lakes. The City’s vehicles like snow plows, patrol pickup trucks, and buses can be difficult to electrify due to their size and geography. This is where HYGN’s unique proposition allows the City to continue operating its existing fleet, have less of an environmental impact, and begin converting its gas and diesel fleet vehicles into hydrogen hybrids.
And that’s not all. Currently, HYGN is developing clean hydrogen power stations to provide energy to locations where sourcing energy is a huge challenge. When discussing the future, Ross explained, “I can envision an abundant amount of clean hydrogen power systems across Canada subsidized by government funding, and I would like to license the technology to power projects around the world.” HYGN is aiming to create zero-emissions power stations that require no rare earth materials and send them to remote areas like Northern Ontario, where fuel is extremely expensive. Ross continues to add, “Five years from now, if all things are on track, we hope to be enabling major green hydrogen energy projects around the world”.
What started as a garage experiment, has now become an incredible solution for emissions reduction and green energy stations. HYGN’s journey showcases how innovation drives positive change, and helps create a more sustainable world.
Interested in becoming a CITM client? Apply to connect and grow!
