Ottawa to invest C$9.1mn for clean hydrogen projects

Federal energy and natural resources minister Jonathan Wilkinson said August 19 Ottawa would invest C$9.14mn in six clean hydrogen projects in BC, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.

Up to C$6.4mn of the funding will be allocated under the federal Clean Fuels Fund: C$5mn to Enbridge Gas in Ontario to conduct a system-wide hydrogen blending study and C$1.4mn to Trans Quebec & Maritimes (TQ&M) Pipeline in Quebec for a study assessing the technical feasibility of blending up to 10% hydrogen into segments of the TQ&M gas transmission system.

The remainder of the funds, Wilkinson said, will come from Ottawa’s Energy Innovation Program. The University of British Columbia will receive C$1.25mn to pilot its pyrolysis technology for low-cost, low-emission hydrogen production, while Ayrton Energy in Alberta will receive C$1.09mn to assess the feasibility of hydrogen storage and transportation in conventional tanks, trucks and pipelines.

Enbridge Gas will receive C$900,000 for its Markham Virtual Hydrogen Hybrid Demonstration Project, while Hydrogen in Motion in BC will receive C$590,223 for a project that will generate clean hydrogen with low-pressure, solid-state storage, distribution and transport.