Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, Seamus O’Reagan, launched the Hydrogen Strategy for Canada, a framework that seeks to position the country as a global hydrogen leader.
According to the Minister, the Strategy is part of Canada’s larger commitment to become low-carbon and net-zero emissions by 2050.
Possibly of your interest: Green hydrogen prices need to fall 50% to be viable: S&P
New Hydrogen Strategy
The Strategy has initial funding of $1.5 billion to enhance low-carbon and zero-emissions fuels technologies. In this regard, the framework is expected to increase the production and use of low-carbon fuels, including Hydrogen.
Low-carbon and zero-emission hydrogen have the potential to reduce Canada’s annual greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by up to 45 million metric tonnes a year in 2030. The Strategy also looks to create up to 350,000 new jobs in the country by 2050.
“Hydrogen’s moment has come. The economic and environmental opportunities for our workers and communities are real. There is global momentum, and Canada is harnessing it,” said the minister at a press conference.
Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, also said: “As an increasing number of countries strive for net-zero emissions by 2050, they are looking to Hydrogen for their clean energy needs. Canada is well-positioned to be among the global leaders in production, which will help to create thousands of jobs, grow our economy, cut pollution, and put Canada on a path to exceeding our 2030 Paris Agreement target.”
Therefore, the new framework is designed to spur development and partnerships between several agencies to turn Canada into a Hydrogen’s global supplier. One main goal of the Strategy is to considerably transform the Canadian energy sector, increasing domestic production of one of the most abundant components in the universe.
Benefits and other commitments
Some benefits of this Strategy have to do with the market potentialities of Hydrogen. Furthermore, several analyses point out this market is expected to reach almost a $12 trillion value by 2050.
Canada has the potential to become one of the top-ten producers in the world. A key factor to complement the Strategy will be the Clean Fuel Standard, further driving investment and growth in Canada’s fuel sector.
According to industry experts, these actions will incentivize clean fuels’ development and adoption in the country and the world.
Canadian expertise will build a new hydrogen supply that will power the country’s clean energy future. This component’s use across the country is expected to lower the emissions of sectors like resource extraction, transportation, power generation, and manufacturing.
The Strategy is the result of three years of research and analysis. One thousand five hundred leading experts and stakeholders, including workers, academia, industry, indigenous organizations, and other government levels, contributed to the study.
This new framework will support Canada’s government’s recently announced climate plan, A Healthy Environment, and a Healthy Economy. Canada is also joining and leading other 23 countries in a joint initiative focused on accelerating Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies’ global commercialization at the Clean Energy Ministerial meeting.
