Hydrogen is fast becoming a key source of clean energy across the globe – and Canada is actively participating in this change.
While Canada has been producing oil and gas for decades, the country is now an emerging leader in the transition to industries like hydrogen and cleantech. It is one of the largest hydrogen producers in the world, with domestic and global companies developing applications and technologies inside its borders. Canada’s east coast is an emerging clean energy hub, thanks to initiatives such as EverWind Fuels‘ green hydrogen project in Nova Scotia and the Canada-Germany Hydrogen Alliance signed in August 2022; the latter includes plans for a wind-to-hydrogen project in Newfoundland, with cross-Atlantic exports targeted for 2025.
The province of Alberta – Western Canada’s longtime oil and gas powerhouse – is already leading the country in hydrogen production. Hydrogen has been used for decades to upgrade bitumen to synthetic crude oil, and expanding existing capacity could make the province a leading source of hydrogen for local markets, and other parts of the world.
The Government of Canada released its Hydrogen Strategy for Canada in December 2020; its goal is to stimulate Canadian production, use, and export of clean hydrogen, part of the government’s path to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. As per Invest in Canada:
Canada aims to develop stronger hydrogen supply and distribution in the next five years through the deployment of regional hubs, the implementation of regulation to attract near-term investment, and the adoption of new policies to reach 2050 net-zero achievements. Medium- and long-term goals include the expansion of fuel-cell electric vehicles for transportation applications, while increasing large scale pipelines for clean hydrogen and hydrogen/natural gas blending.
Invest in Canada – Hydrogen
Earlier this year, Fasken published Promoting Hydrogen in Canada: Cross-Country Check-Up, where it is tracking the Canadian government’s measures to promote hydrogen supply and demand across the country. Fasken concludes that the federal government is enacting supports for Canada’s hydrogen industry, and while levels and initiatives differ across the country, sector participants who “target their activities accordingly, will be able to optimize their opportunities.”
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