Lewis County Hydrogen Alliance Launches Phase 1 Work to Turn Forest Residuals into Fuel-Grade Hydrogen and Dispatchable Clean Power

CHEHALIS, Wash. – July 28, 2026 – PRLog — Lewis County Hydrogen Alliance, Inc. (LCH2) today announced the launch of Phase 1 project assessment work for the Lewis County Forestry Residuals to Fuel-Grade Hydrogen & Dispatchable Clean Power project, supported in part by a grant from the Centralia Coal Transition Board. The initial $400,000 Phase 1 award supports a project assessment package including, site diligence, concept engineering, a permitting roadmap, commercialization planning, and capital-readiness analysis. The work is designed to determine the necessary parameters for the project to move from Project Assessment into detailed engineering, pilot development and private-capital deployment. The project’s objective is to convert locally available forestry residuals into fuel-grade hydrogen, captured carbon dioxide or carbon-based products, and dispatchable clean power without burning the feedstock. The platform is being developed for transportation fleets, industrial users and energy-intensive operations that need reliable clean power, including potential self-sufficient data-center infrastructure. By transforming an underutilized local biomass resource into multiple high-value clean energy products, the project demonstrates a pathway to greater local energy resilience, strengthening forest health and supporting rural economic development. With Lewis County at the forefront, LCH2 is laying the foundation for a scalable, replicable model that can help communities across Washington and advance clean energy and decarbonization goals. LCH2 is serving as the coordinating nonprofit and grant recipient. The Devonshire Group is supporting delivery management, biomass supply-chain assessment, and stakeholder coordination. Ways2H is providing thermochemical conversion technology and engineering support. HydrogenXT is supporting project development, commercialization, offtake strategy and integration with hydrogen fuel and power customers. — Ken Cavallon, Executive Director of LCH2, said: Lewis County has the forest resources, the energy-transition need and the industrial know-how to become a national proving ground for clean hydrogen from forest residuals. “Phase 1 is about discipline: validate the site, the feedstock, the engineering, the permits, the customers and the capital pathway before anyone asks the community or investors to take the next step. We are grateful that the Centralia Coal Transition Grants Energy Technology Board share our vision for a more sustainable future for our region.” — Jean-Louis Kindler, Co-Founder & Director of Ways2H, said: This project is a powerful fit for the Ways2H platform because it focuses on a real local resource, a real clean-fuel need and a phased pathway to commercial deployment. “Our role is to help translate the technology into a practical, financeable system that can turn underused biomass into hydrogen fuel and carbon products.” — Skip Sponsel, Vice President of The Devonshire Group, said: Forestry residuals are often treated as a disposal problem. “LCH2 is asking a better question: how can that material become a durable source of regional economic value, forest resilience and clean energy? That is the kind of implementation challenge The Devonshire Group was built to help solve.” — Karl Tussy, Chief Customer Officer of HydrogenXT, said: The commercial opportunity is not just producing hydrogen; it is connecting clean hydrogen fuel to customers who can use it reliably and economically. “HydrogenXT is focused on helping this project develop the offtake, customer and integration pathway needed to move from promising assessment to bankable deployment.” READ the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Hydrogen Central Lewis County Hydrogen Alliance Launches Phase 1 Work to Turn Forest Residuals into Fuel-Grade Hydrogen and Dispatchable Clean Power, source