Canada Net-zero Hydrogen Energy Complex

Air Products’ new net-zero hydrogen energy complex, expected to come on-stream in 2024, will make Edmonton, Alberta the centre of western Canada’s hydrogen economy. Canada is well positioned to be a global hydrogen leader, which will help to create thousands of jobs, grow the economy, reduce emissions, and put Canada on a path to achieving net-zero by 2050. This project will reduce Alberta’s greenhouse gas emissions. 

Set to break ground in Edmonton, Air Products' transformative new $1.6 billion hydrogen facility will deploy advanced technology and an innovative design to deliver net-zero emissions. Connecting this new facility to our existing pipeline network will help our refining and petrochemical customers reduce the carbon intensity of their energy products and improve their sustainability performance. The world-scale liquefaction facility will help to accelerate the use of hydrogen as an emission-free transportation fuel across western Canada. Think of it this way—there will be enough liquid hydrogen capacity to fuel every public transit agency across Alberta.

How It Works

Today, almost all industrial-scale hydrogen is produced using Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) technology. If the SMR is equipped with carbon capture technology, then the per-unit emissions can be reduced by about half. To achieve net-zero emissions, Air Products will use advanced process technology – Auto-Thermal Reforming (ATR) – which enables 95% of the carbon to be captured, transported, and safely stored back underground.

As well, the design incorporates a hydrogen-fueled power generation facility. This reduces the CO2 intensity to a level that is close to zero. Then to become net zero, the project is configured to export clean electricity to the grid, where it offsets higher carbon intensity electricity. Additionally, the “blue, but better” hydrogen supplied from our facility will replace diesel and natural gas as a zero-emission fuel in downstream sectors in the developing hydrogen economy, providing significant GHG reductions across the region and Western Canada.