Officials launch Edmonton-area hydrogen hub

Canada's first hydrogen hub launched Wednesday in Alberta with a $2-million joint-government funding announcement.

The Edmonton region hydrogen hub aims to kick-start the local hydrogen economy, although a strategic plan is still being developed and a timeline of specific next steps is yet to be announced.

Alanna Hnatiw, hub chairwoman and mayor of Sturgeon County, said its work will serve as a blueprint for other hydrogen development across the country.

“The race is on and we will move as quickly as possible to be a part of the market,” said Hnatiw at the announcement.

She added that with interest from countries looking to import, Canada's domestic industry has the potential to be worth up to $100 billion a year.

The new funding will go to technical, economic analysis and help convene government, Indigenous, academic and economic development leaders to plan how best to produce and sell hydrogen.

Enoch Cree Nation Chief Billy Morin, vice-chairman of the Edmonton region hydrogen hub, said the hub would set the stage for Indigenous participation in the clean-energy emerging sector.

“Two million dollars might not sound like a lot of money today, but it's enough to start planning and turn those ideas into more structure,” said Morin.

Jim Carr, the federal government's special representative for the Prairies, said he anticipates major hydrogen investment announcements in the coming weeks and months.

“What we're announcing is a platform upon which so much more will be built,” said Carr.

Alberta is aiming to export blue hydrogen made from natural gas using carbon capture and storage, which has some carbon emissions. Green hydrogen is made from water using renewable power and creates zero emissions.

Carr said there are opportunities across the spectrum, reflecting the federal government's endorsement of blue hydrogen as optimal for large-scale, low-cost production to meet demand.

“They will attract different kinds of investments, staged at different times, but all of them carry great opportunity,” said Carr.

The hub's launch comes as countries around the world set net-zero emissions targets and plan to develop hydrogen economies.

With support from the Transition Accelerator, a charity focused on the move to net-zero emissions, planning is underway for more than 25 potential projects related to the supply, delivery and use of low-carbon hydrogen.

Transition Accelerator CEO Dan Wicklum said in the coming months and years, people will begin to see trucks, buses and trains operating with hydrogen power.

“(And), you're going to see some traditional energy companies pivoting from one product mix to a different product mix,” he said.

Wicklum said Japanese authorities expressed that they care about emissions, but also about the price of the hydrogen they plan to import.

“They quite strongly said that instead of waiting for green hydrogen to become economically viable, they would absolutely want to start right now,” he said, adding Japan's market size for hydrogen could be as high as 10 million tonnes of hydrogen per year by 2050.

The $2-million funding envelope includes $1.2 million from Western Economic Diversification Canada, $600,000 from Alberta's Industrial Heartland Association and $450,000 from the provincial government through Emissions Reduction Alberta.

What we're announcing is a platform upon which so much more will be built.