In Canada, the government of Alberta happens to be investing millions so as to advance the province’s economy related to hydrogen, lower emissions, and also create new jobs.
The CA$57 million, which is equivalent to $41.68 million worth $280 million in funding, has been made a possibility due to the Alberta Innovates and Emissions Reduction Alberta- ERA and the entire funding happens to be for 28 projects.
Especially, the innovation funding that happens to be announced by the province’s government is going to be given to 28 projects that have been designed to advance Alberta’s hydrogen economy.
Apparently, 20 early-stage projects via the Hydrogen Centre of Excellence- Competition 2 will get CA$22.5 million, or $16.4 million, from the Alberta Innovates for collaborating with Natural Resources Canada.
Another CA$34.5 million, or $25.2 million, is going to be committed by ERA. The funding in this will be coming from Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction, for the 8 late-stage projects through its Accelerating Hydrogen Challenge.
It is worth noting that the hydrogen economy project funding went on to garner a lot of interest, drawing more than 90 applicants. All applicants went through a competitive review process. Experts in numerous fields such as engineering, business development, science, commercialization, financing, and greenhouse gas quantification, in addition to others, went on to conduct stringent and transparent reviews so as to determine the viability when it comes to the projects.
Out of this, 28 applicants were selected, and these successful applications went on to receive funding.
Notably, the applicants who received funding through Alberta Innovates projects happen to have 24 months in order to complete their work, whereas those that are a part of the ERA-funding projects happen to have 36 months so as to complete their work.
The projects selected are going to cover numerous elements that are required to support and sustain the hydrogen economy. These happen to be including projects that involve the production of hydrogen, hydrogen transportation, storing hydrogen, as also distribution as well as the usage of hydrogen.
To be more precise, among the projects that will go on to get funding in Alberta will include the ones that:
• Go on to build strong pipeline structures that can distribute hydrogen safely.
• Build hydrogen-powered furnaces along with the water heaters.
• Make an advancement in the retrofit kits for diesel engines.
• Offer heat as well as power to the municipal recreation center.
Interestingly, a hydrogen refueling station network happened to be also announced for Alberta.
Apart from the $57 million in funding when it comes to hydrogen economy projects, it went on to be announced that Air Products, which happens to be the US-based industrial gas manufacturer, will go on to build a network of hydrogen refueling stations across Alberta, and these stations are going to be equipped for heavy-duty vehicle refueling and, at the same time, light-duty fuel cell vans as well as cars.