Canada invests $11M in SMR research and hydrogen technologies for clean energy

CALGARY — The Canadian government invests $11 million in small modular reactor (SMR) research and hydrogen technologies to support clean energy development.

Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, made the funding announcement for nine energy technology projects. This includes $2.5 million for SMR research and $8.5 million for innovation in Canada’s clean hydrogen sector.

“(These) announcements are part of a series of significant steps the government (is taking) to support good jobs and promote sustainable growth, including the launch of the Hydrogen Strategy for Canada Progress Report, Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy and Canada’s founding of the Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance last fall. I will continue to work with all partners to ensure Canada remains a global supplier of choice for clean energy in a net-zero world — ensuring a prosperous and clean future for Canadians,” Wilkinson said.

Of this funding, $5 million will be allocated to three projects in Alberta selected through the Energy Innovation Program’s (EIP) Clean Fuels and Industrial Fuel Switching call for proposals, including:

• $3 million to Aurora Hydrogen to advance the use of microwave energy for pyrolysis technology to convert methane to hydrogen and solid carbon with minimal greenhouse gas emissions and no water use;
• $1 million to Quantiam Technologies for the production of carbon-negative methanol and e-fuels from captured carbon dioxide and green hydrogen; and,
• $1 million to Innova Hydrogen for zero-carbon hydrogen production via catalytic methane pyrolysis.

The remaining four projects, also in Alberta, are funded through the EIP and support the Hydrogen Centre of Excellence, an initiative led by Alberta Innovates. They include:

• $1.3 million to ATCO Gas and Pipelines, in partnership with Qualico, to conduct a feasibility assessment of a pure hydrogen pipeline network to heat new homes in the community of Bremner in Strathcona County, Alberta, including constructing a pure-hydrogen demonstration home;
• $1.264 million to Innovative Fuel Systems to reduce emissions from heavy-duty vehicles by developing a hydrogen and diesel dual-fuel retrofit system applicable to 90 per cent of heavy-duty engines;
• $508,935 to ATCO Gas and Pipelines to develop the Fort Saskatchewan Operating Centre into the first commercial 100-percent hydrogen-heated building in North America and as a demonstration site for end-user heating technologies that utilize pure and blended hydrogen with natural gas; and,
• $415,000 to New Wave Hydrogen to accelerate the time of methane thermal cracking for hydrogen production via shock wave heating technology in preparation for successive field pilots.

“New Wave Hydrogen is honoured to be a part of the Canadian clean energy transition. The vision and benefits of these funding programs offer vital support to emerging companies. This funding stimulates growth…to support Canada’s innovation ecosystem and networked growth through engineering, manufacturing and clean energy sectors,” Kathleen O’Neil CEO of New Wave Hydrogen said.

Canada is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and emphasizes collaboration with provinces, territories, Indigenous partners, and stakeholders to build a low-carbon economy.