Building Alberta’s hydrogen economy through the Hydrogen Centre of Excellence
The Hydrogen Centre of Excellence will accelerate technology and innovation across the hydrogen value chain, closing innovation and support gaps to strengthen Alberta’s hydrogen economy. Its purpose is to provide innovation support across the entire hydrogen system, from production to end use.
The centre will help make Alberta a world leader in the innovative production, deployment and use of hydrogen across our economy, acting as a connecting forum to bring together researchers, academics, innovators, industry, and various levels of government to help Alberta achieve its hydrogen ambitions.
The first round of funding available under the Hydrogen Centre of Excellence is now available. For more information, see Advancing Hydrogen — Competition One.
In addition, the Hydrogen Centre of Excellence supports studies, opportunity analyses, the development of codes and standards and fosters the development of partnerships to advance the integration of hydrogen into the energy system. Funding is available to enable these “Service Capacities” through the Hydrogen Centre of Excellence. See Services Capacity.
What is the Hydrogen Centre of Excellence?
The Hydrogen Centre of Excellence is led by Alberta Innovates, with the applied research and engineering expertise of its two subsidiaries, InnoTech Alberta and C-FER Technologies. The centre is a funding program, testing and service facility, and forum for facilitating partnerships to de-risk hydrogen technology development. Its objectives are to:
- Inform the public about the scopes, benefits and deployment of a hydrogen economy in Alberta;
- Identify technology gaps to broad market adoption of hydrogen;
- Develop and deliver innovation programs to fill the identified technology gaps;
- Provide testing facilities and services, and host demonstration projects; and
- Facilitate partnerships and alliances to de-risk technology and advance projects.
The centre will target five leading markets for hydrogen energy that have significant economic opportunity for Alberta:
Image Source: Alberta Hydrogen Roadmap
Background
The centre adds value to the economy by investing in clean technology research and innovation that focuses on technologies that improve environmental sustainability and economic diversification.
Interest in hydrogen is gaining momentum globally, offering opportunities to achieve economic and environmental objectives in Alberta and beyond.
Hydrogen has been identified as an important priority for Alberta in the provincial Economic Recovery Plan and the Natural Gas Vision and Strategy, as well as the federal Hydrogen Strategy.
Alberta’s Hydrogen Roadmap lays out a path to a hydrogen economy and establishes a policy framework and actions to achieve Alberta’s ambitions in the emerging hydrogen economy. Within Alberta’s Hydrogen Roadmap, the Hydrogen Centre of Excellence is an important delivery mechanism for many of its policy pillars to achieve a thriving hydrogen economy in Alberta, including:
- Build new market demand
- Enable Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS)
- De-risk investment
- Activate technology and innovation
- Ensure regulatory efficiency, codes, and standards
- Lead the way and build alliances
- Pursue export markets
About Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe and provides energy without releasing carbon dioxide (CO2), which means it has the potential to be a major source of clean energy from the world. It can be derived from the separation of natural gas or through electrolysis, and when burned for energy or used in a fuel cell it only emits water.
As the largest hydrogen producer in Canada, Alberta has the resources, expertise, and technology needed to quickly become a global supplier of low-cost hydrogen.