Scott Malfitano, whose appointment was announced Nov. 9, will oversee construction, supply chains, staffing and daily operations. He also serves on the company’s board of directors and brings nearly 35 years of construction and corporate operating experience, according to Aternium.

Planned hydrogen and heavy water facility would bring about 50 permanent jobs and hundreds of construction jobs to Garrison Oak

WILMINGTON — Aternium has named longtime Delaware business and civic leader Scott Malfitano chief operating officer as it develops a proposed $380 million hydrogen and heavy water production facility in Dover.

Malfitano, whose appointment was announced Nov. 9, will oversee construction, supply chains, staffing and daily operations. He also serves on the company’s board of directors and brings nearly 35 years of construction and corporate operating experience, according to Aternium.

His appointment follows Gov. Matt Meyer’s Oct. 30 announcement that the planned facility at Garrison Oak Business and Technology Park had been accepted into Delaware’s JobsFirst Permitting Accelerator.

Together, the announcements outline the company’s next steps: building its operating leadership and coordinating the government reviews needed before construction can begin.

“We are building something unprecedented at Aternium, and Scott’s arrival strengthens our ability to turn vision into execution,” said Andrew Cottone, Aternium’s founder and CEO.

The proposed Dover facility would produce high-purity hydrogen for Mid-Atlantic customers and heavy water, also known as deuterium oxide, for industries including pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, defense and advanced technology.

According to the governor’s office, the project is expected to create about 50 permanent technical, engineering, operations and manufacturing jobs with salaries in the low six figures, along with hundreds of construction jobs.

The state said the United States relies on imported heavy water and that domestic production could help strengthen supply chains for advanced manufacturing, research and emerging technologies.

“America needs a reliable domestic supply of heavy water, and Aternium is bringing that production back to the U.S. – starting in Delaware,” Cottone said in the Oct. 30 announcement.

The project remains a proposed development. As of the state’s Oct. 30 announcement, it was in the planning phase, and local, state and third-party approvals had not yet begun.

Construction is projected to start in late November 2027 and take about 18 months.

Admission to the JobsFirst program does not constitute approval to build. Established through Executive Order 18, the accelerator provides participating projects with a single point of contact and coordinates permitting reviews across state agencies.

The program targets completion of complex state permitting reviews within 120 business days while retaining environmental, public safety and regulatory standards, according to the governor’s office. That target applies to state permitting reviews, rather than the project’s full development or construction schedule.

“When a company chooses Delaware, our job is to make sure government helps them succeed instead of standing in their way,” Meyer said in the Oct. 30 announcement.

The accelerator’s involvement follows earlier state financial support. In September 2025, the Delaware Division of Small Business awarded Aternium $1 million through the State Small Business Credit Initiative’s Delaware Accelerator and Seed Capital Program to support expansion of its clean hydrogen production capabilities.

Malfitano’s background includes more than three decades in leadership roles at CSC. His work there included managing development and construction of the company’s global headquarters and launching CSC Station, a coworking and innovation hub in Wilmington.

According to Aternium, he also helped develop CSC’s electronic recording services, launched its business license and permit business and helped pioneer its online incorporation services.

Malfitano began his government career with the New York State Comptroller’s Office. He chairs the Delaware Workforce Development Board, according to the Department of Labor’s current board roster.

His civic involvement has included service with the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, the B+ Foundation and Nativity Prep School. Aternium also credits him with founding the Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation and Intern Delaware.

“I’ve spent my career helping organizations scale, innovate, and build lasting value,” Malfitano said in the Nov. 9 announcement. “As Aternium advances America’s critical supply chains, strengthens energy security, and expands advanced manufacturing, it is creating capabilities that are vital to the nation’s future.”

To Go Box

• What: Aternium’s proposed $380 million hydrogen and heavy water production facility.
• Where: Garrison Oak Business and Technology Park, Dover.
• Projected jobs: About 50 permanent positions with salaries in the low six figures, plus hundreds of construction jobs, according to the state.
• Timeline: Construction is projected to begin in late November 2027 and take about 18 months, subject to approvals.
• Project information: aternium.com
• Permitting program and project tracking: jobsfirst.delaware.gov

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