Under the Canadian province’s Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction programme, the funding will be used to develop technologies that Rebecca Schulz, Alberta’s Environment Minister, said will help “hydrogen power Alberta’s industries, vehicles, homes and economy.”
CAD $7m ($5.1m) has been earmarked for Linde to install hydrogen production, distribution and refuelling infrastructure in Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan.
The industrial gas major was named as a clean hydrogen and nitrogen supplier for Dow’s integrated ethylene cracker and derivatives site in Fort Saskatchewan.
Read more: Linde to supply Dow with hydrogen under new partnership in Canada
Oil and gas firm NuVista Energy has also been awarded CAD $7m to demonstrate its technology to convert natural gas into low-carbon hydrogen solid carbon.
Other awarded projects include methanol-to-hydrogen fuelling systems in Edmonton, hydrogen-fuelled heat and power systems, vehicle testing, pipeline retrofitting and aviation. Funding for each project ranges from CAD $300,000 ($220,000) to CAD $7m.
Minister of Technology and Innovation, Nate Glubish, said the investments would help to “grow and diversify” Alberta’s economy and secure its future as a “global energy powerhouse.”
Alberta in 2021 released its hydrogen roadmap intending to position the province as a global leader in hydrogen. The roadmap noted the potential of hydrogen in heating, industrial processes, power generation and transportation.
Analysis: Could Canada be about to steal US green hydrogen investments?
The latter part of 2023’s hydrogen policy discussions were dominated by the constant back and forth of views on the US Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA’s) rules for green hydrogen production.
Eventually delivered by the Treasury on December 22, the proposed rules on for the 45V Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit (PTC) have been received less than favourably by hydrogen players, politicians and investors than anyone could have been imaged when the PTC was first released in August 2022.
The rules are not yet law. The Treasury will still be accepting comments until the end of February, ahead of final publication in the summer before coming stature in the early autumn. While many might hope there is room for change, sources have told H2 View the chances of any shift are extremely narrow.
And with multiple players having said they would reconsider investment plans if the requirements were passed, combined with news from Canada that seemingly slipped through the headlines, you might wonder if the US is about to lose some of its green hydrogen investments to its northern neighbour…
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