BLUE H2
Federal government putting $1.35 million into Alberta hydrogen projectsAuthor of the article:Lisa Johnson
Publishing date:Nov 09, 2021 •
Daniel Vandal, minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada and minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, announces funding of $1.35 million through PrairiesCan to help modernize C-FER technologies to test their products and processes to demonstrate the value of Canadian-made technologies for the global hydrogen industry on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021 in Edmonton. PHOTO BY GREG SOUTHAM /Postmedia
Ottawa is putting $1.35 million into helping Alberta companies engineer and test hydrogen fuel infrastructure, equipment and technologies.
Dan Vandal, federal minister in charge of Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), said Tuesday the funding will help Alberta companies get ahead in the rapidly growing hydrogen economy.
“We are investing in projects that provide entrepreneurs and provide businesses with the knowledge that they need, and the resources they need, to develop industry leading-edge hydrogen products and technologies,” Vandal said at his first announcement since being appointed minister two weeks ago.
C-FER Technologies, a non-profit subsidiary of government agency Alberta Innovates, provides experimental testing and specialized engineering consulting services out of Edmonton. It will use the federal funding to upgrade one of its facilities to help test new products and procedures for hydrogen transportation and storage.
Alberta Innovates is also chipping in $300,000. Combined with contributions from private companies, a total of $2.8 million is going towards the initiative.
Vandal estimated that 50 small and medium-sized energy companies will benefit from the program.
Kirk Hamilton, C-FER’s senior engineering adviser, said a key challenge is for the industry to develop the necessary infrastructure to move hydrogen once it’s generated.
“It is important to understand the compatibility of legacy and new equipment with hydrogen and hydrogen-natural gas blends,” he said.
The funding will also provide a boost for upcoming projects that include evaluating existing natural gas pipeline systems for transporting hydrogen, developing new technologies for underground hydrogen storage, and demonstrating new infrastructure for exporting to foreign markets.
Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, a former Liberal cabinet minister, said in the PrairiesCan news release the city supports local tech companies like C-FER.
“(They) will accelerate the transition to a new energy economy that will create jobs, attract workers and talent to Edmonton, all while growing our economy,” he said.
Vandal said he met with Sohi earlier Tuesday morning, was meeting with local industry leaders in the afternoon, and his office had been in contact with the provincial government.
“My goal and objective, certainly in the future, is to work with the elected officials of the legislature of Alberta and I’m very much looking forward to that,” said Vandal.
While there were no provincial ministers at the announcement, Jobs, Economy and Innovation Minister Doug Schweitzer said in the news release diversifying the energy sector is important to the province’s economic recovery plan.
“Alberta is already a world leader in hydrogen production, and through investments like this, we will retain that leadership as we accelerate innovative technology solutions that will help grow our clean hydrogen production to meet national and international demand,” said Schweitzer, who attended the announcement of a new business accelerator in Calgary Tuesday morning.
Alberta’s natural gas and electricity associate minister Dale Nally has been prominent at previous provincial hydrogen industry-related announcements, including with the release of a hydrogen road map last Friday.
Nally’s office did not directly respond to Postmedia’s question about why he did not attend.
Taylor Hides, Nally’s press secretary, said in a statement Tuesday they are happy to see the federal government investing in Alberta’s economy and to have Alberta Innovates represent the province.
Laura Kilcrease, CEO of Alberta Innovates, said in a release that the support from PrairiesCan will enable entrepreneurs and businesses to accelerate the development of hydrogen technology.
Alberta’s map sets the province’s sights on exporting blue hydrogen — which is produced from natural gas through carbon capture and storage technology — globally by 2030. The federal hydrogen strategy, first released last December , similarly embraces blue hydrogen as the favourite for large-scale, low-cost production.
lijohnson@postmedia.com
Ottawa is putting $1.35 million into helping Alberta companies engineer and test hydrogen fuel infrastructure, equipment and technologies.
Dan Vandal, federal minister in charge of Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), said Tuesday the funding will help Alberta companies get ahead in the rapidly growing hydrogen economy.
“We are investing in projects that provide entrepreneurs and provide businesses with the knowledge that they need, and the resources they need, to develop industry leading-edge hydrogen products and technologies,” Vandal said at his first announcement since being appointed minister two weeks ago.
C-FER Technologies, a non-profit subsidiary of government agency Alberta Innovates, provides experimental testing and specialized engineering consulting services out of Edmonton. It will use the federal funding to upgrade one of its facilities to help test new products and procedures for hydrogen transportation and storage.
Alberta Innovates is also chipping in $300,000. Combined with contributions from private companies, a total of $2.8 million is going towards the initiative.
Vandal estimated that 50 small and medium-sized energy companies will benefit from the program.
Kirk Hamilton, C-FER’s senior engineering adviser, said a key challenge is for the industry to develop the necessary infrastructure to move hydrogen once it’s generated.
“It is important to understand the compatibility of legacy and new equipment with hydrogen and hydrogen-natural gas blends,” he said.
The funding will also provide a boost for upcoming projects that include evaluating existing natural gas pipeline systems for transporting hydrogen, developing new technologies for underground hydrogen storage, and demonstrating new infrastructure for exporting to foreign markets.
Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, a former Liberal cabinet minister, said in the PrairiesCan news release the city supports local tech companies like C-FER.
“(They) will accelerate the transition to a new energy economy that will create jobs, attract workers and talent to Edmonton, all while growing our economy,” he said.
Vandal said he met with Sohi earlier Tuesday morning, was meeting with local industry leaders in the afternoon, and his office had been in contact with the provincial government.
“My goal and objective, certainly in the future, is to work with the elected officials of the legislature of Alberta and I’m very much looking forward to that,” said Vandal.
While there were no provincial ministers at the announcement, Jobs, Economy and Innovation Minister Doug Schweitzer said in the news release diversifying the energy sector is important to the province’s economic recovery plan.
“Alberta is already a world leader in hydrogen production, and through investments like this, we will retain that leadership as we accelerate innovative technology solutions that will help grow our clean hydrogen production to meet national and international demand,” said Schweitzer, who attended the announcement of a new business accelerator in Calgary Tuesday morning.
Alberta’s natural gas and electricity associate minister Dale Nally has been prominent at previous provincial hydrogen industry-related announcements, including with the release of a hydrogen road map last Friday.
Nally’s office did not directly respond to Postmedia’s question about why he did not attend.
Taylor Hides, Nally’s press secretary, said in a statement Tuesday they are happy to see the federal government investing in Alberta’s economy and to have Alberta Innovates represent the province.
Laura Kilcrease, CEO of Alberta Innovates, said in a release that the support from PrairiesCan will enable entrepreneurs and businesses to accelerate the development of hydrogen technology.
Alberta’s map sets the province’s sights on exporting blue hydrogen — which is produced from natural gas through carbon capture and storage technology — globally by 2030. The federal hydrogen strategy, first released last December , similarly embraces blue hydrogen as the favourite for large-scale, low-cost production.
lijohnson@postmedia.com
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