Houston company scores agreement to work on Canadian green hydrogen project

contract secured

The facility, once completed, will be able to produce 165 kilo tons per Annum of hydrogen and 5,000 metric tons per day of ammonia. Photo via Getty Images

Houston-headquartered McDermott has reported that it secured an agreement to work on Canada's first commercial green hydrogen and ammonia production facility.

The Early Contractor Involvement agreement is from Abraxas Power Corp. to work on the Exploits Valley Renewable Energy Corporation (EVREC) project located in Central Newfoundland and will include developing a wind farm with up to 530 turbines that will have the ability to generate 3.5 gigawatts of electricity and 150 megawatts solar photo voltaic. Additionally, the facility, once completed, will be able to produce 165 kilo tons per Annum of hydrogen and 5,000 metric tons per day of ammonia.

"The agreement is testament to McDermott's industry-leading delivery and installation expertise, and the breadth of our capabilities across the energy transition," Rob Shaul, McDermott's senior vice president, Low Carbon Solutions, says in a news release. "Our century of experience, from concept to completion, and integrated delivery model, means we can offer Abraxas a repeatable modular implementation solution that is expected to drive cost savings, reduce risk and provide quality assurance."

Per the agreement, the company will provide front-end engineering design, engineering, procurement, and construction execution planning services, and more for the project. According to McDermott, the company's contribution to the project will be led from McDermott's Houston office with support from its office in India.

Recently, another collaboration McDermott is working on reached a new milestone. Houston-based Element Fuels has completed the pre-construction phase of its hydrogen-powered clean fuels refinery and combined-cycle power plant in the Port of Brownsville. McDermott is providing front-end engineering design services for the project.

In October, McDermott announced that it signed a lighthouse agreement with United Kingdom-based industrial software company AVEVA and Massachusetts-based product lifecycle management platform provider Aras. With the new software, McDermott plans "to develop its asset lifecycle management capability across the energy transition, oil and gas, and nuclear sectors," per the news release.

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Element Fuels has designed the plant to produce and recycle hydrogen that will generate and deliver cleaner, higher-quality fuels. Photo via Getty Images

Houston clean fuels producer reaches milestone on South Texas hydrogen-powered refinery

hi to hydrogen

Houston-based Element Fuels has completed the pre-construction phase of its hydrogen-powered clean fuels refinery and combined-cycle power plant in the Port of Brownsville.

Element Fuels, which has contracted with Houston-based McDermott to provide front-end engineering design services for the project, has designed the plant to produce and recycle hydrogen that will generate and deliver cleaner, higher-quality fuels, including much-needed high-octane gasoline and electricity for commercial and consumer consumption.

“Element Fuels has received the necessary permitting to construct and operate a refinery capable of producing in excess of 160,000 barrels, or approximately 6.7 million gallons, per day of finished gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel,” Founder and Co-CEO of Element Fuels John Calce says in a news release. “A permit for a greenfield refinery of this size, scope, and functionality has not been granted in the United States since the 1970s. This speaks to the innovative approaches we are taking to address climate and sustainability concerns in cleaner, greener ways that are new to the refinery space.”

The project is expected to go online in 2027 and will produce enough low-carbon hydrogen to supply approximately 100 percent of the refinery’s fuel requirements, essentially eliminating CO2 emissions, per the news release. More than 100 megawatts of excess electricity generated from the power plant will be provided to the Energy Reliability Council of Texas for the surrounding community’s needs.

“Element Fuels is not only ushering in the next generation of clean fuels, we’re also proving that, without a doubt, there is a way to produce higher quality, cleaner, higher-octane fuels that significantly advance the energy transition," Calce continues. "This changes everything – for the industry, for consumers, and for the well-being of the planet.”

The plant is located in South Texas and built on more than 240 acres within the Port of Brownsville. Element Fuels is reportedly collaborating with local and Port officials "to advance the Justice40 initiative established by the U.S. Department of Commerce to contribute to a climate-positive environment that provides residents of the Brownsville area and Rio Grande Valley with clean energy and affordable and sustainable housing," per the release.

“Building on our successful collaboration during early project phases, we believe we are uniquely positioned to leverage our expertise and knowledge to further support Element Fuels throughout the next stages of this unique project,” adds Rob Shaul, senior vice president at Low Carbon Solutions at McDermott. “We remain focused on the delivery of low carbon pathway projects and are committed to advancing the landscape of energy production.”

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Houston cleantech startup seeks $200M for superhot geothermal plant

seeing green

Houston-based Quaise Energy is looking to raise $200 million to support the development of a 50-megawatt superhot geothermal plant in Oregon.

The company is seeking $100 million in Series B funding, plus an additional $100 million from grants, debt and project-level finance, a representative from the company tells Energy Capital. Axios first reported the news late last month.

Quaise specializes in terawatt-scale geothermal power. It is known for its millimeter-wave drilling technology, which was developed at MIT.

The company's Project Obsidian development in central Oregon will combine conventional drilling with its millimeter-wave technology. Quaise says the project, targeted to come online in 2030, could be the first commercial plant to operate in superhot rock, a more efficient and abundant resource, but one that requires more advanced and durable drilling technology.

Quaise says Obsidian would initially generate 50 megawatts of "always-on" power and would be designed to add 200 megawatts as additional wells are developed. A power-purchase deal has already been signed for the initial 50 megawatts with an undisclosed customer.

A representative from the company says Quaise would also use the funding to continue advancing its millimeter-wave technology and prepare it for commercialization.

Last year, the company drilled to a depth of about 330 feet using its millimeter-wave technology at its field site in Central Texas.

“Our progress this year has exceeded all expectations,” Carlos Araque, CEO and president of Quaise Energy, said at the time. “We’re drilling faster and deeper at this point than anyone believed possible, proving that millimeter-wave technology is the only tool capable of reaching the superhot rock needed for next-generation geothermal power. We are opening up a path to a new energy frontier.”

Canary Media reports that Quaise plans to drill to nearly 3,300 feet later this year and to deploy its millimeter-wave technology at its power plant in 2027.

Quaise raised $21 million in a Series A1 financing round in 2024 and a $52 million Series A in 2022. Major investors include Prelude Ventures, Safar Partners, Mitsubishi Corporation, Nabors Industries, TechEnergy and others.

Quaise was one of eight Houston-area companies to appear on Time magazine and Statista’s list of America’s Top GreenTech Companies of 2025.

Houston positioned to lead in Carbon Capture Utilization (CCU), study shows

The View From HETI

With global demand for energy production while lowering emissions continues to grow, Houston and the Gulf Coast region are uniquely positioned to lead with carbon capture, utilization and sequestration (CCUS). A new study developed by the Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI) in collaboration with Deloitte Consulting explores how the region can transform captured CO₂ into valuable products while supporting continued economic growth and industrial competitiveness.

Key takeaways from the report include:

Houston and the Gulf Coast are uniquely advantaged to utilize and store carbon.As a global hub for chemicals and refining industries, Houston has access to world-class infrastructure, a skilled workforce, and access to global markets. The region also has one of the nation’s highest concentrations of industrial CO₂ and creates the opportunity to capture waste material streams to deliver lower carbon intensity products that continue to deliver economic benefits to the region.

While carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) projects continue to advance, CCU requires coordinated action across policy, infrastructure, technology and market demand to scale successfully. Utilization and sequestration are complementary strategies that support and protect investment deployments. CCS acts as an early foundation while markets and infrastructure evolve toward broader CO₂ utilization, and CCU is essential to developing low-carbon-intensity value chains and products.

“Our collaboration with Deloitte highlights how Houston and the Gulf Coast continue to build on the strengths that have long made our region an energy leader. Houston’s infrastructure, workforce, and industrial ecosystem uniquely position the region to scale CCU,” said Jane Stricker, Senior Vice President, Energy Transition, and Executive Director of HETI. “With supportive policy, continued innovation, and strong industry partnerships, we can accelerate CCU deployment, create new low-carbon value chains, and ensure Houston remains at the forefront of the global energy transition.”

Download the full report here.

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This article originally appeared on the Greater Houston Partnership's Houston Energy Transition Initiative blog . HETI exists to support Houston's future as an energy leader. For more information about the Houston Energy Transition Initiative, EnergyCapitalHTX's presenting sponsor, visit htxenergytransition.org.

Houston startup raises $6M to grow AI platform for solar, battery contractors

fresh funding

Houston tech startup Artemis has raised $6 million from 10 investors. The company offers an AI-supported platform that enables solar, battery storage and home improvement contractors to design, sell and finance energy projects.

Long Journey and Copec WIND Ventures co-led the round, with participation from angel investor Scott Banister, Coalition Operators, FJ Labs, Ludlow Ventures, Palm Tree Crew, Plug and Play Ventures, Shrug Capital and Tribeca Ventures.

To help propel growth, the company secured $10 million in financing last year (under its previous name, Monalee) from venture debt and growth credit provider Applied Real Intelligence. As Monalee, the company raised $16 million in venture capital.

The company was founded in 2022 as an installer of solar and battery storage projects. Five years later, the startup used in-house technology to establish its standalone software platform as it began pivoting away from installation. The company recently adopted the Artemis brand name.

Artemis says its platform saves time and money for installers of residential solar, battery storage, and energy projects. The platform combines an AI-powered design tool with embedded financing capabilities and compliance automation to create a single operating system.

The company says its customers report as much as a 72 percent reduction in software costs and up to 98 percent faster turnaround times. Thus far, more than 100 installers are using Artemis’ technology.

“Installers shouldn’t need six tools and a week of back-and-forth to sell a project," Walid Halty, co-founder and CEO of Artemis, said in a press release. “This funding gives us the fuel to scale our mission to compress design, financing, and compliance into a single flow so every installer can operate like a modern energy company. We’re not just speeding up deals, we're modernizing how distributed energy gets built.”

The Artemis platform, now available in the U.S. and soon to be launched in Latin America, caters to home improvement contractors, solar companies, lenders, and utilities.

“Artemis is transforming the complexity of distributed energy into elegant simplicity," added Arielle Zuckerberg, general partner at Long Journey.

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