Clean energy hydrogen project announced

A collaborative project to turn clean energy hydrogen and use it to replace natural gas used by Canfor’s Intercon Pulp Mill was announced Tuesday afternoon by Premier David Eby.

Waste hydrogen produced through hydrolysis by Chemtrade as a byproduct of making sodium chlorate will be refined and compressed to provide a low-carbon fuel source that will supply up to 25 per cent of the gas needed to heat the boiler of the adjacent mill used to make pulp and paper products.

The project, which also involves Fortis BC, will be funded by Chilliwack-based Teralta Hydrogen Solutions and is expected to create dozens of construction jobs and several permanent operational positions at the Chemtrade facility next to the pulp mill.

It’s expected to produce an average 500,000 gigajoules of clean energy and reduce carbon emissions by 700,000 tonnes over the several-decades lifespan of the project. The electolyzers that will create the hydrogen will run using grid electricity.

Eby said the burgeoning global market for hydrogen is estimated to grow to $87 billion by 2030 and $305 billion by 2050 and he said Prince George is getting in on the ground floor of that market as a potential hydrogen hub.

The Teralta project is among 50 domestic and international projects related to hydrogen currently under consideration by the province.

“The reason for that is hydrogen is one of our best bets to decarbonize one of our hardest-to-decarbonize sectors, where we’re using natural gas or fossil fuels,” said Eby. “Hydrogen enables companies in Asia potentially to decarbonize their steel-making operations, which is one of the major interests for export here in British Columbia.

“Clean hydrogen opens a world of opportunities for our province that we’re not taking advantage of yet. And are right there for us. It may be the first project of its kind but it certainly won’t be the last.

Teralta CEO Simon Pickup acknowledged that the province’s regulatory amendment in 2021 cleared the way for his company’s hydrogen program.

“We will be able to provide clean hydrogen for Canfor to reduce their emissions, reduce operating costs and showcase a new model for making hydrogen actually viable for industrial users,” said Pickup.

Josie Osborn, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, said Prince George is ideally positioned geographically to attract investment in hydrogen and pioneer new technologies the world needs to build a low-carbon economy and meet climate goals.