As Canada continues to move rapidly towards recently updated net-zero targets, the importance of hydrogen is becoming ever-more apparent. Federal and provincial policies and regulations are shifting energy usage towards hydrogen and other low carbon options, and the recent NRCan Hydrogen Strategy for Canada aims to “cement hydrogen as a tool to achieve our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 and position Canada as a global, industrial leader of clean renewable fuels.”
Many large industrial players are equally enthusiastic about the potential of hydrogen. The Hydrogen Council, a global CEO-led initiative that counts many of the world’s largest oil and gas companies as Steering and Supporting members, states that “hydrogen solutions are here: mature, safe and ready to be deployed at scale. The time for industry, governments and investors to tap into the potential of hydrogen is now.”
The Hydrogen Council’s Path to Hydrogen Competitiveness outlines applications for hydrogen that, with enough investment, policy change and demand, will become increasingly competitive starting as early as 2030. These applications include:
- Commercial vehicles, trains and long-range transportation
- Hydrogen boilers as a building heating alternative
- Industrial heating
- Power systems (hydrogen will become more prevalent for this usage as costs decrease and demand rises)
- Industry feedstock (as costs fall and carbon prices rise)
According to David Van Den Assem, CRIN’s Low Emissions Value Added Products Lead, “production, distribution infrastructure and end use demand need to be developed simultaneously to adopt hydrogen as a new energy source. Costs for hydrogen production will become competitive as infrastructure is built and usage increases. With these advancements, hydrogen could become a preferred fuel for mobile applications in a low carbon economy.”
With this vision of hydrogen’s potential in mind, new technologies featured prominently in CRIN’s $80 million Oil and Gas Technology Competitions. Hydrogen projects recommended for funding include:
- Ekona Power – Pilot Deployment of Ekona’s Pulse Methane Pyrolyzer (PMP) Solution for Clean Hydrogen Production
- KWI: Clean H2 (Hydrogen) Generation via Natural Gas Pyrolysis
- CVICTUS: Mannville Enhanced Hydrogen Recovery Project
CRIN’s Low Emissions Value Added Products (LEVAP) theme focuses on the conversion of hydrocarbon raw materials into innovative products of higher value, including hydrogen. If you are interested in being part of the hydrogen conversation, join the LEVAP theme’s LinkedIn Group (you must be a CRIN member to access the LinkedIn Group so Join Today). You can also watch for upcoming CRIN events focused on hydrogen generation, distribution and use. And finally, use the links below to access recordings of past CRIN webinars that feature new hydrogen technologies:
- CRIN/carbonNEXT Carbon and Hydrogen Innovation Showcase (November 9, 2021)
- CRIN/carbonNEXT Carbon and Hydrogen Innovation Showcase (February 2, 2022)
- CRIN/carbonNEXT Carbon and Hydrogen Innovation Showcase (April 13, 2022)
Upcoming Hydrogen Events
On April 26-28, 2022, the Canadian Hydrogen Convention is hosting the highly anticipated Hydrogen Expo: A New Era for Canadian Energy is Now. The Expo is the largest hydrogen event in Canada, and it will position hydrogen as crucial for the path towards reaching the country’s future net-zero goals. Register for the conference where you will learn more about Canada’s potential as a global hydrogen powerhouse.
And don’t miss out on f-cell Canada’s Annual International Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Event taking place May 25-26, 2022 in Edmonton. The conference will bring together the hydrogen and fuel cell community to advance projects and connections within industry.