CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A company that recycles plastic into hydrogen and other clean fuels is coming to a small West Virginia community near Charleston, creating an anticipated full-time 40 jobs, Gov. Jim Justice announced Wednesday.
In 2024, Clean-Seas West Virginia plans to open a plastic conversion manufacturing facility in Quincy, an unincorporated community just over 10 miles east of West Virginia’s state capital. Justice said the operation will be a $50 million capital investment over three years. The state pitched in $1.75 million in performance-based loans, along with tax and employment incentives.
The state’s agreement with the company requires it to provide private health care and retirement benefits to employees.
Clean-Seas is a subsidiary of Clean Vision Corporation, which has a mission to acquire and operate companies and technologies that will have an impact on the green economy.
The West Virginia facility will be Clean-Seas’ first U.S. operation and will focus on converting plastic feedstock into precursors for recycled content plastics and clean fuels, including hydrogen, to “address the global plastic crisis,” according to the company. It will process plastic for conversion to clean energy at a rate of 100 tons per day, with plans to scale up to 500 tons per day over time.
Hydrogen is a clean fuel that, when consumed in a fuel cell, produces only water, according to the U.S. Energy Department.
Republican House Speaker Roger Hanshaw called the Clean-Seas’ process “revolutionary technology.”
“The Legislature has worked to show the world that West Virginia is an all-of-the-above energy state, and investments like this one prove that our message is spreading,” GOP Senate President Craig Blair said.