Jason Kenney, Premier of Alberta. (Government of Alberta)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

$50 Million Investment

Province announces $50M to launch Clean Hydrogen Centre of Excellence

Apr 26, 2022 | 5:01 PM

The provincial government says a new Clean Hydrogen Centre of Excellence will help support made-in-Alberta energy solutions and grow the province’s emerging hydrogen sector.

Officials say the Alberta government will invest $50 million to create the new centre, which will drive innovation in the production, deployment and use of hydrogen across the economy. The centre is said to be a pillar in Alberta’s Hydrogen Roadmap, which lays out the path to growing the provincial hydrogen economy and accessing global markets.

According to government officials, Alberta is already the largest hydrogen producer in Canada. Hydrogen is expected to be a $2.5-trillion to $11-trillion industry worldwide by 2050 and Alberta is ready to emerge as a leader in that global market, says the government.

“Hydrogen offers a huge opportunity for the future of our energy sector, and Alberta is stepping up,” said Jason Kenney, Premier of Alberta, on Tuesday. “We are making sure our energy industry can compete on the international stage and continue to show the token Alberta innovation that has already made us one of the best and most responsible energy suppliers in the world.”

“Hydrogen is going to be a huge part of Alberta’s energy future, and the centre of excellence will help create jobs, spur innovation and keep Alberta’s economy growing and diversifying,” added Dale Nally, Associate Minister of Natural Gas and Electricity. “We’re building upon our well-established leadership in the energy sector so that Alberta-made solutions can help lower emissions and power a reliable global energy system for decades to come.”

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Officials say the centre of excellence will support research, development and demonstration that helps companies and entrepreneurs building hydrogen technologies. It will bring together industry, researchers and small businesses from across the province to take technology that is in the early stages of development and get it ready to move into the global marketplace.

The centre of excellence will be funded through Alberta’s Technology, Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) program. It will aim to draw in an additional $150 million from other levels of government and private sector investments over a four-year time period.

Alberta Innovates, with its proven track record of accelerating Alberta-made technologies, say government officials, will operate the centre of excellence and integrate it into Alberta’s existing innovation support systems to deliver testing, demonstration, piloting and validation capabilities needed for a hydrogen economy in Alberta.

Early goals will include identifying investment and partnership opportunities as well as collaborating across the hydrogen value chain to establish hydrogen research and innovation programs.

“We are proud to support the Clean Hydrogen Centre of Excellence through our TIER fund,” stated Jason Nixon, Minister of Environment and Parks. “Alberta continues to be a leader in innovation in the energy sector, and this centre will build on the excellent progress our industries are making in lowering emissions and producing reliable and affordable energy.”

“Alberta has a real opportunity to become a leader in the hydrogen space,” said Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation. “Not only do we have abundant natural gas resources, we have the talent, ingenuity and entrepreneurship to make hydrogen another Alberta success story. Our new centre of excellence, led by the Alberta Innovates’ expertise, will help us diversify our economy and create jobs while meeting growing global demand.”

“Post-secondary research is a critical element of creating new ideas and developing talent,” noted Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Advanced Education. “Minister Schweitzer and I established the Research Commercialization Working Group in summer 2021 to identify ways to increase collaboration in key research priorities that diversify our economy, including the need for greater focus on hydrogen and other alternative energies. This centre of excellence sets a new standard for collaboration between post-secondary institutions, industry and government, and I look forward to seeing the impact it will have on Alberta.”

“Hydrogen is one of Canada’s most exciting economic transformation opportunities,” stated Laura J. Kilcrease, CEO, Alberta Innovates. “The clean hydrogen centre of excellence builds on Alberta’s existing strengths as a leading producer of hydrogen with a vast CCUS capacity. It also builds on our success as energy innovators. It’s no surprise that Alberta is leading the way.”

Alberta’s Hydrogen Roadmap, released in November 2021, outlines the path for the province to play a substantial role in the clean hydrogen market, say government officials. This includes integrating the use of hydrogen within Alberta’s existing energy systems to build demand and developing the capacity to export clean hydrogen to international markets.

Alberta government quick facts

• The Clean Hydrogen Centre of Excellence will receive $40 million in operating funding over the next four years, alongside $10 million in capital funding over the next two years.
• Alberta’s hydrogen roadmap aims to reduce 14 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by incorporating clean hydrogen into existing industries.
• The province is also in an excellent position to export clean hydrogen around the world, with studies showing Alberta can produce some of the lowest-cost clean hydrogen in the world.
• The roadmap also calls for tens of thousands of construction jobs and billions of dollars of investment in the production and use of hydrogen in the province over the next eight years.