The government of the Canadian province of Alberta, through Alberta Innovates and Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA), has announced $57 million, worth $280 million, in innovation funding for 28 projects to advance the hydrogen economy, reduce emissions and create jobs in Alberta.
Alberta Innovates, in partnership with Natural Resources Canada, is committing $22.5 million for 20 early-stage projects through the Hydrogen Centre of Excellence – Competition 2, and ERA, with funding from the Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) program, is committing $34.5 million for eight late-stage projects through its Accelerating Hydrogen Challenge.
Alberta Innovates-funded projects, representing a total project value of approximately $118.8 million, include: liquid organic hydrogen carrier for safe, efficient and easy hydrogen storage and transportation by Ayrton Energy, hydrogen fueling and pilot fleet feasibility study by the City of Calgary, low carbon hydrogen and low carbon ammonia study by Pembina Pipeline, and more.
As for the ERA-funded projects, representing a total project value of approximately $162 million, they include: the installation of hydrogen production, distribution and refuelling infrastructure in Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan to supply hydrogen for the Edmonton Transit by Linde Canada, scaling-up and deployment of hydrogen storage, compression and blending equipment at an existing compressed natural gas hub by Certarus, and more.
Overall, according to Alberta Innovates, projects cover the spectrum of hydrogen production, storage, transmission, distribution and usage, including building resilient pipelines capable of distributing hydrogen safely, creating furnaces and water heaters fueled by hydrogen, advancing retrofit kits of diesel engines, providing heat and power to a municipal recreation center, and more.
Laura Kilcrease, CEO of Alberta Innovates, said: “The work we do today will create a foundation, and lay the groundwork, for companies to work with hydrogen. That’s not only good for innovators but also for creating a strong Alberta economy.”
Justin Riemer, CEO of Emissions Reduction Alberta, stated: “The Government of Alberta’s significant investment in hydrogen is essential for our province to become a major player in the global hydrogen economy. These projects build on the province’s early successes in the low carbon hydrogen value chain and will not only improve our market presence, but also reduce our emissions.”
Nate Glubish, Minister of Technology and Innovation, commented: “Hydrogen has the potential to transform global energy markets and to create trillions of dollars of economic activity. Alberta’s government is committed to investing in new technologies to develop a hydrogen market and to ensure that Alberta is the Hydrogen capital of Canada. These investments will help to grow and diversify our economy and secure our future as a global energy powerhouse for generations to come.”
To note, applicants have 24 months for Alberta Innovates-funded projects and 36 months for ERA-funded projects to complete their work.
Click here to read more about hydrogen in Canada.