A proposal to build a large hydrogen-powered residential neighbourhood east of Edmonton gained momentum on Tuesday as a provincial Crown corporation announced a funding grant to move the project forward.
Bremner, a community that would potentially house 85,000 more people in Strathcona County, is a project being planned by land development firm Qualico and the utility company ATCO.
The project hopes to have newly-built homes in the community equipped with furnaces and hot water tanks powered by hydrogen, and eventually grills and cooktops, as part of a plan to build more environmentally conscious communities.
READ MORE: Councillors in Strathcona County vote to adopt Bremner area concept plan
At a news conference on Tuesday, the CEO of Alberta Innovates announced that Bremner is one of 18 projects that will receive a chunk of funding from $20 million worth of grants being provided through its Alberta Hydrogen Centre of Excellence. The Bremner project will receive $2 million in funding from the entity.
“Hydrogen is one of Alberta’s most exciting economic transformation opportunities,” Laura Kilcrease said, adding the funding is only the initial round of grants the centre will be announcing. “All the pieces that make a hydrogen economy work come together right here.
“We have the expertise, the existing production, the pipeline infrastructure… (and) the enormous gas reserves that we can use as feedstock for what we’re going to do.”
At the same news conference, ATCO Gas president Jason Sharpe said his company decided to get involved in the Bremner project because to get “in line with Canada’s climate goals, ATCO has set decarbonization targets to enable net-zero emissions for our customers by 2050.”
“Central to that is innovation,” he said. “Hydrogen is undoubtedly a gamechanger.”
“As we look at our current energy system and we look at where we’re taking energy in Canada — and the targets around net-zero by 2050 — we’ve really looked at what are those pathways for net-zero by 2050, and we believe hydrogen is key… To be able to meet those goals.”
READ MORE: Alberta government invests $161M in clean hydrogen
Sharpe noted that production capability for hydrogen is particularly impressive in the Edmonton area, which gives the region an advantage in terms of trying to become a leader in developing hydrogen-powered homes.
Brad Armstrong, the vice-president of community development in northern Alberta for Qualico Communities, said planning and developing such a community “takes a long time” but noted his company has already been working with ATCO for a couple of years. He said the goal is to be able to complete the groundwork for developing the community by the fall of 2024 so that the first homeowners in the new community can move in in 2025.
“What we’re hearing from consumers is everyone has an interest in reducing their carbon footprint,” he said. “We happen to have land holdings in Strathcona County that make a lot of sense (since the area is a hydrogen hub).
“It’s the right thing to do… It helps put us on the path towards net-zero in homebuilding and community development.”
READ MORE: Alberta truck drivers test out hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles
In a news release, the Alberta Hydrogen Centre of Excellence noted ATCO and Qualico are still in the process of “studying the logistics, technology requirements and other considerations involved in safely and affordably developing 100 per cent pure hydrogen communities.:
“Findings will demonstrate feasibility and contribute to designing this unique community,” the news release reads. “Bremner will be Sherwood Park’s newest community, a Canadian first, and globally, the largest scale project of its kind.”
At Tuesday’s news conference, Strathcona County’s mayor said he believes hydrogen can play a key role in helping Alberta to diversify its economy.
“Any announcement that means more jobs and clean energy is a delight to be a part of,” Rod Frank said.
Kilcrease said with Canada already being one of the planet’s top 10 producers of hydrogen, and Alberta being the commodity’s largest producer in the country,” the province is “very, very well-positioned” to become a global leader in the emerging sector.
For the first round of grants awarded through a competitive application process, the Alberta Hydrogen Centre of Excellence said it received 68 proposals before selecting the 18 successful applicants.
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