SARNIA, ONT. — AlumaPower Corporation of Sarnia (Aamjiwnaang First Nation), Ont., a company that develops, fabricates and tests a type of experimental technology used to produce electricity, has been fined after several workers were injured in a 2023 explosion.
On Nov. 14, 2023, workers were testing a prototype piece of equipment called a four‑cell aluminum‑air galvanic generator at the company’s Sarnia facility, states an Ontario court bulletin.
This equipment produces electricity through a chemical reaction and releases hydrogen gas as part of the process.
The testing took place inside a large, enclosed fume hood, a structure designed to remove hazardous gases from the air through ventilation.
During testing, workers noticed hydrogen gas was not venting as intended through a small water‑filled tube (called a bubbler) designed to safely release the gas.
As workers attempted to determine where the gas was accumulating, hydrogen built up inside the enclosed space. An explosion then occurred inside the fume hood, injuring three workers, the bulletin describes.
A Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development investigation found the testing process was not carried out in an area designed or rated for the hazard. The space also contained several potential ignition sources and did not meet required safety standards for processes capable of producing explosive gases.
All three workers recovered from their injuries and returned to work.
Following a guilty plea in Provincial Offences Court in Sarnia, AlumaPower Corporation was fined $90,000 on April 20, 2026, by Justice of the Peace Waugh.
