A hydrogen and carbon neutral fertilizer project is in incubation in Saint-Hyacinthe. This initiative, presented publicly for the first time this Wednesday, is one of the ideas explored in Feed tomorrow, a symposium on the future of the agri-food sector in Quebec.
“Currently, we produce zero kilograms of fertilizer in Quebec,” laments Sabin Boily, president of H2SX, a start-up that wants to establish a hydrogen and carbon neutral fertilizer plant in Saint-Hyacinthe. These demonstration facilities would be supplied with methane from the current biogas plant in this town in Montérégie, which processes organic waste from agri-food businesses in the region.
The entrepreneur looking for financing is betting on Korean technology. This allows the molecules of methane (CH4) to produce hydrogen gas and solid carbon. This carbon would be of the quality required to make batteries, according to Mr. Boily. The creation of two in-demand products promises excellent profitability, he believes.
The project could be part of a circular economy perspective in Montérégie, explains Mr. Boily. “We grow our carrots. The stems are made into biogas. This biogas can be used to make a molecule with high added value: hydrogen. And with this hydrogen, we can make a green fertilizer. Finally, with fertilizer, we can grow our carrots. »
The entrepreneur – who is also assistant director, research and innovation, at the Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe – would like H2SX to fund a research chair in the fertilizers of the future. He also intends to take advantage of the adventure to train the workforce in these new technologies.
Today, nearly half of the world’s hydrogen production — almost exclusively from fossil fuels — is used to make ammonia. Most of this ammonia is then used to make chemical fertilizers.
A unique symposium
In parallel with H2SX, some twenty projects and expert perspectives are presented on Tuesday and Wednesday in the Quartier des études supérieure of Saint-Hyacinthe. The Feeding Tomorrow symposium revolves around the themes of health — human, animal and environmental —, sustainability and food self-sufficiency.
The participants come from various backgrounds, which sometimes tend to oppose each other on certain agri-food issues: civil servants, agricultural unionists, public health departments, community organizations, food processors, researchers, etc.
“The particular aspect of the symposium is its intersectorality,” explains Jean-Philippe Rocheleau, professor of animal health at Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe and co-organizer of Nourrir Demain. One of the main objectives of the symposium will be to promote networking so that interesting initiatives, often still marginal, can take off.
On Wednesday, a workshop will bring together around 13 tables participants with various profiles to find possible solutions to problems related to food in the broad sense. These problems will be embodied by 13 fictional characters: they are experiencing food insecurity and health problems, or they are producers who want to change their practices, but who lack the tools, gives Mr. Rocheleau an example.
“The workshop aims to reflect together: are we able to build a concrete social project and draw up a list of actions? “, he specifies. A follow-up will be provided in the coming months – interviews, surveys with participants – to see if the symposium has really contributed to initiating a transition. If necessary, other editions of the symposium could be considered, possibly in other regions of Quebec.
“There are lots of great things happening in Quebec,” explains Candice Cornet, professor of anthropology at Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe and co-organizer of the symposium. But unfortunately, these initiatives do not change the system. We want to see how they can shake the cage of the agri-food liner, and that it begins to deviate towards something more sustainable, healthier for everyone. »