ATCO and Qualico study opportunity for emission-free, pure hydrogen community in Strathcona County
The Alberta Hydrogen Centre of Excellence (HCOE) is awarding $20M to 18 successful projects to advance innovations in hydrogen through its first funding competition.
About ATCO & Alberta Innovates
With approximately 7,100 employees and assets of $24 billion, ATCO is a diversified global corporation with investments in the essential services of Structures & Logistics (workforce and residential housing, innovative modular facilities, construction, site support services, workforce lodging services, facility operations and maintenance, defence operations services, and disaster and emergency management services); Utilities (electricity and natural gas transmission and distribution, and international operations); Energy Infrastructure (energy storage, renewable energy generation, industrial water solutions, and clean fuels); Retail Energy (electricity and natural gas retail sales, and whole-home solutions); Transportation (ports and transportation logistics); and Commercial Real Estate. More information can be found at www.ATCO.com.
Alberta innovates is the province’s most comprehensive research and innovation agency. From funding to commercialization, we are Alberta’s innovation engine. We foster and accelerate research and innovation to benefit citizens and drive economic growth.
Our total managed portfolio impact is $1.2 billion in value encompassing 1,320 active projects.
Alberta Innovates works across sectors to fund, partner and enable entrepreneurship throughout the province. The corporation operates in 11 locations with more than one million sq ft of industrial testing and lab facilities and 600 acres of farmland. Alberta Innovates employs 589 highly skilled scientists, business and technical professionals and has an annual operating budget of $250 million.
Learn how Alberta Innovates.
One of the successful projects is the proposed Bremner 100 per cent Hydrogen Community in Strathcona County, Alberta. Together, ATCO and Qualico are studying the logistics, technology requirements and other considerations involved in safely and affordably developing 100 per cent pure hydrogen communities – an important step towards eliminating carbon emissions that are produced when we heat our homes and use hot water. Findings will demonstrate feasibility and contribute to designing this unique community. A future home to 85,000 residents and to commercial and industrial businesses, Bremner will be Sherwood Park’s newest community, a Canadian first, and globally, the largest scale project of its kind.
Other successful projects in the competition will examine the safe and effective use of pipelines for hydrogen transmission. Another project will look at how to convert heavy-duty long-haul trucks to dual-fuel machines. In all, projects will examine everything from production, transmission, distribution, and storage, to end-uses of hydrogen.
Projects funded by Alberta Innovates will address:
- Developing and deploying hydrogen-focused technologies;
- Building a sustainable and self-sufficient clean hydrogen economy in Alberta; and
- Increasing Alberta’s technology strength in clean hydrogen technology deployment.
A total of 68 project proposals were received, with 18 being chosen to move forward for a value of over $20 million. The HCOE will fund up to 50 per cent of eligible costs for the successful projects, or up to 75 per cent of eligible costs for projects led by post-secondary institutions, or those with a significant Indigenous component. The total value of the funded projects, including matching investments for project partners, is over $200 million. Projects have 24 months to complete their proposed work.
The Hydrogen Centre of Excellence 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 enable Alberta achieve its hydrogen ambitions.
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.
SOURCE ATCO Ltd.
Resources:
Media contacts:
Alberta Innovates
Dwayne Brunner
Senior Manager, Media & Strategic Community Relations
dwayne.brunner@albertainnovates.ca
587-572-4091
ATCO
Doris Kaufmann Woodcock
Senior Advisor, Marketing & Communications
587-215-9115
Strathcona County
info@strathcona.ca
780-410-6595