Whitaker Irvin Jr. is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Q Hydrogen Commercialization since its formation in 2013. Based in Park City, Utah, he is a seasoned entrepreneur with a wide range of experience in industries including finance, aerospace/defense, energy and green high technology companies, including Raytheon, where he managed technology deployment for the northeast region.
Irvin’s family has been in the oil and gas sector for five generations. In 2010, he left Raytheon to guide the development and commercialization of carbon-free hydrogen production technologies invented by his father, Whitaker B. Irvin Sr. He is responsible for crafting the company’s commercialization strategies and is known for his relationships within the commercial and equity communities.
He graduated from Babson College in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Global Business Management. He is also a certified Project Management Professional (“PMP”).
Join us as Irvin unveils the company’s vision for a greener future, leveraging hydrogen as a key driver towards achieving sustainability goals. Gain insights into Q Hydrogen‘s role in spearheading the hydrogen economy, revolutionizing industries from transportation to manufacturing, and paving the way towards a cleaner, more sustainable tomorrow.
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What is the most significant business achievement you’d like to celebrate with your team this past year? Please share details of that success.
Whitaker Irvin Jr.: Our standout achievement this past year has been successfully completing third-party testing for our proprietary hydrogen technology. This rigorous process encompassed everything from scrutinizing power usage to testing large reciprocating engines for electricity production. It’s a significant milestone in our journey, bringing us one step closer to realizing our vision and inaugurating the world’s first economically viable and renewable commercial hydrogen campus, without government subsidy,
based on our technology. It is located in northern New Hampshire.
What advice do you wish you had received when you started your business journey, and what do you intend to improve in the next quarter?
Whitaker Irvin Jr.: Looking back, I wish I had understood sooner the importance of blending gut instinct with factual analysis. This synthesis of intuition and data has become a guiding principle for me. As we move into the next quarter, we will focus squarely on navigating the regulatory landscape. Navigating the complex regulatory landscape involves meticulous attention to detail, instincts, negotiation with state regulators, and crystal-clear communication with entities like the Department of Energy. Our success is magnified by presenting a cohesive and compelling case for our endeavors.
Online business keeps surging higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, and remote work; what are your expectations for the year to come, and how are you capitalizing on the tidal wave?
Whitaker Irvin Jr.: While our business is not primarily conducted online, the advent of virtual meetings and remote work has been transformative. It’s allowed us to tap into talent pools nationwide, fostering a diverse and dynamic team. While face-to-face interactions remain vital, the flexibility afforded by virtual collaboration has proven invaluable, particularly in sourcing the right expertise regardless of geographical constraints.
In your experience, what tends to be the most underestimated part of running a company? Can you share an example?
Whitaker Irvin Jr.: Talent acquisition is often overlooked in company discussions, yet it’s critical. At Q Hydrogen, we look for and invest in a wide range of talent, from support staff, engineers, machinists, and scientists to business executives. Finding the right individuals who possess the requisite skills and align with our company culture is paramount. Rushing this process can lead to costly mistakes, so we approach it with the utmost care and attention to detail. Our success is contingent on having the right people in the right roles.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating growth opportunities. What do you see as THE real challenge right now?
Whitaker Irvin Jr.: Our current hurdle is overcoming final regulatory barriers and assembling the right talent and partnerships. It’s a delicate balancing act, melding our strategic vision with the expertise and support necessary to execute it effectively. To be effective entails meticulous planning, adept negotiation, and forging alliances with our long-term objectives in mind.
What does “success” in 2024 mean to you? It can be personal or business level; please share your vision.
Whitaker Irvin Jr.: Looking ahead to 2024, success means achieving a multi-decade milestone: introducing the world’s first financially viable renewable hydrogen power plant based on our Q Hydrogen technology. This ambitious endeavor represents the culmination of over 25 years of research, development, and strategic planning.
As interest in the hydrogen economy grows, we’re positioned to significantly impact the success and growth of our company and the broader industry.
What makes Q Hydrogen’s process unique?
Whitaker Irvin Jr.: Currently, 96% of hydrogen production uses fossil fuels. As the U.S. government and others globally provide billions to fund clean hydrogen hubs, much of the new technology in development that is innovative, carbon-free and affordable has yet to be realized.
Technological innovation is found with startups and investors willing to risk millions of dollars to advance the science of creating clean hydrogen without the need for electrolyzers.
Q Hydrogen’s breakthrough technology harnesses the power of a new complex turbine containing hyperbolic waveform geometry at its base without an electrolyzer. This results in an innovative electromechanical turbine that produces hydrogen from water.
While similar to water electrolysis in that it splits water molecules, the transformative process doesn’t produce heat, drastically reducing the energy requirements compared to electrolysis.
As Whitaker Irvin, Jr., Q Hydrogen’s CEO, explains, the technology used for the Q Hydrogen production process is patented based on years of research into a novel relationship between energy and matter that would be useful in a spectrum of applications.
Describe opening the first commercialized hydrogen campus in the U.S.
Whitaker Irvin Jr.: In 2016, Q Hydrogen opened its operational test facility in Park City, Utah. Today, it can produce between 10,000 and 50,000 kilograms of H2 daily. The fuel produced undergoes real-time analyses and is used as a clean fuel in several test facility engines and generators.
The company’s first commercialized hydrogen campus in the U.S. will open soon in Groveton, New Hampshire. The plant uses water from a nearby river, which feeds into the Q Hydrogen generator. The generator initially will produce around 10 megawatts of energy daily, but it is scalable up to more than 100 megawatts daily as demand increases. Due to the unique Q Hydrogen technology design, the campus will require less than 5 acres of land.
Additional large-scale future commercial projects in Sweden, Germany, and several other countries will make possible affordable, clear hydrogen energy everywhere.
Through continued efforts, research, and investment, Q Hydrogen will lead a hydrogen economy that will revolutionize the path to net zero and power the world. A greener and more sustainable future is achievable for generations to come.
What is your goal for the future of hydrogen?
Whitaker Irvin Jr.: Q Hydrogen overcomes the current challenges of requiring fossil fuels for production with cost benefits that positively impact various industries, including transportation, aviation, manufacturing, and heating.
According to Q Hydrogen, the company is unique in meaningful ways:
- Production of clear hydrogen at ambient temperatures.
- Offers proprietary technology that is easily scalable and cost-effective.
- Uses less space and energy than natural gas, fossil fuel, and existing hydrogen production methods.
- Manufactures hydrogen using water – no natural gas or electrolysis involved.
How is Q hydrogen unique in the hydrogen space?
Whitaker Irvin Jr.: By 2030, the green hydrogen market size will be worth over 88 billion dollars globally. While multinational corporations have robust infrastructure to address the growing market for clean energy, the whole story of global green energy solutions must include startups investing millions of dollars to create cost-effective, scalable, and technologically innovative clean hydrogen. Unlike others in the hydrogen manufacturing space, Q Hydrogen is a private company that has invested millions of dollars to develop patented technology to produce clean hydrogen.
Jerome Knyszewski, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Whitaker Irvin Jr. for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Whitaker Irvin Jr. or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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