OTTAWA – The Government of Canada is going H2. Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Seamus O’Regan, launched the Hydrogen Strategy for Canada, an ambitious framework that seeks to position Canada as a global hydrogen leader, cementing this low-carbon and zero-emission fuel technology as a key part of our path to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“Hydrogen’s moment has come. The economic and environmental opportunities for our workers and communities are real. There is global momentum, and Canada is harnessing it.” – Seamus O’Regan
The Strategy is underpinned by a federal investment of $1.5 billion in a Low-carbon and Zero-emissions Fuels Fund to increase the production and use of low-carbon fuels, including hydrogen. Low-carbon and zero-emission hydrogen has the potential to reduce our annual greenhouse gas emissions by up to 45 million metric tonnes a year in 2030 and could create up to 350,000 new jobs in Canada by 2050.
The Strategy is designed to spur investment and partnerships to establish Canada as a global supplier of hydrogen, and to increase domestic production, which will transform our energy sector. As one of the top 10 producers of hydrogen in the world, Canada will benefit from the growing global demand for hydrogen — a market that is expected to reach almost $12 trillion by 2050. The strategy will also be complemented by the Clean Fuel Standard, which will further drive investment and growth in Canada’s fuels sector by incentivizing the development and adoption of clean fuels such as hydrogen.
The Strategy will utilize Canadian expertise to build new hydrogen supply that will power our country’s clean energy future. The use of hydrogen across the country will lower the emissions of sectors like resources extraction, transportation, power generation and manufacturing.
The Strategy is the result of three years of research and analysis, with input from 1,500 leading experts and stakeholders including workers, industry, other levels of government, Indigenous organizations and academia. It will support the Government of Canada’s recently announced climate plan, A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, and also builds on the development and launch of the hydrogen initiative by 23 countries at the 10th Clean Energy Ministerial meeting in May 2019. Under Canada’s leadership, that initiative focused on accelerating the global commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies across all sectors of the economy.
Hydrogen’s time has come. pic.twitter.com/Kefp16JjoJ
— Seamus O’Regan (@SeamusORegan) December 16, 2020
“As a province central to Canada’s efforts to build a globally groundbreaking clean hydrogen sector, Alberta’s government supports Ottawa’s work on a collaborative strategy that will rely on our industry’s experience and expertise in natural resource production and emissions reduction technology.
“The federal strategy – which Alberta contributed to – supports the work we are doing to build a provincial hydrogen road map and provide significant environmental and economic benefits to Alberta, Canada and across the world.
“There is no doubt that Alberta will play a leading role in the future of Canada’s clean hydrogen economy. We are already one of the world’s biggest producers of hydrogen, and our abundant natural gas supply and experience with carbon capture and storage means we have the tools and experience to produce clean hydrogen right now, and for decades to come,” says Sonya Savage, Minister of Energy.
Alberta Associate Minister of Natural Gas and Electricity Dale Nally states, “Whether our hydrogen is produced from natural gas or other sources, we are in a strong position to supply the next wave of innovation in heating, transportation and electricity generation with Alberta-made clean-burning hydrogen.
“To ensure we’re positioned to capitalize on opportunities in this emerging sector, the Government of Alberta included hydrogen as one of five key growth areas in our Natural Gas Vision and Strategy, which also clearly stated our intent to deploy clean hydrogen across the provincial economy and to export clean hydrogen to international markets.
“The Alberta Government is also working on our own hydrogen road map. In fact, last week we met with almost 100 organizations – including industry partners, researchers, environmental groups and others – to identify the unique opportunities we have to advance the industry in Alberta.
“Our road map will build upon the work in the federal strategy, while leveraging what gives Alberta a competitive edge in the future of hydrogen: namely the leadership, expertise and long-standing experience of our energy industry.
“I look forward to sharing our road map in the coming months, and to continuing to work with our federal counterparts to build a strong path forward for hydrogen in Canada.”
