In a world hungry for sustainable energy, Alberta is fast becoming one of the pre-eminent jurisdictions on the planet for hydrogen fuel and expertise.
The province is already Canada’s largest producer of hydrogen, having spent decades producing it from abundant reserves of natural gas for bitumen upgrading and fertilizer. One of the cleanest sources of energy, hydrogen is a zero-emissions fuel that produces only water when burned or used in a fuel cell.
With research at the University of Alberta at the forefront of hydrogen innovation, Alberta is also a global source of expertise. To further advance hydrogen technology, the university is now launching a new Centre for Hydrogen Innovation, Workforce Development and Outreach (CHIWDO).
Based in the U of A’s Faculty of Engineering, the centre brings together researchers from a variety of disciplines, as well as government, community, Indigenous and industrial partners to support research and policy, says Amit Kumar, who advised the provincial government on its Hydrogen Roadmap.
With more than 60 researchers working on various aspects of hydrogen at the U of A, “you won’t find anywhere in Canada with such a large critical mass,” says Kumar, who is the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Assessment of Energy Systems. “This brings them all under one umbrella, like a think tank.”
Researchers in the centre will cover the entire hydrogen value chain and help train a workforce for the emerging hydrogen economy, all aimed at the development of a sustainable energy future.
A big part of CHIWDO’s mandate will be outreach aimed at educating the public, says Kumar.
“Hydrogen is relatively new, and people aren’t sure, for example, what the impact will be when hydrogen is put through existing natural gas pipelines to heat our homes.”
The Alberta government has introduced a bill that would allow utility companies to blend hydrogen into their supply of natural gas, reducing overall carbon emissions.
“We want to be able to answer people’s questions,” says Kumar, adding that the centre will also explore developing hydrogen education materials for schools, colleges and universities.