BIV MAGAZINE
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BIV MAGAZINE: BC TECH ISSUE 2021 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER
CLEANER FUEL B.C. cleantech primed to power industry’s decarbonization
NELSON BENNETT
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hirty years hence, after demand for Alberta’s oil has entered a predicted decline, the Trans Mountain pipeline, currently under expansion, might be used to move other, lower carbon fuels through Vancouver.
Thirty years hence, after demand for Alberta’s oil has entered a predicted decline, the Trans Mountain pipeline, currently under expansion, might be used to move other, lower carbon fuels through Vancouver. Fuels like ammonia, for example. Three parts hydrogen to one part nitrogen, it is an excellent carrier for hydrogen, which by 2050 could be produced in large quantities in Alberta from natural gas and exported worldwide. And by 2050, hydrogen fuel cell-powered trains could also be moving through B.C. transporting carbon black — a by-product of hydrogen production from natural gas using methane pyrolysis — to B.C. ports for export to rubber manufacturers around the world. This is how Matthew Klippenstein, branch manager for Hydrogen BC, imagines the energy transition unfolding in Western Canada. But between now and then, a whole lot of clean technology needs to be deployed, and B.C. is positioned to be a key provider. There are significant opportunities for B.C.-made clean technologies in the resources, energy and heavy industry sectors, particularly in the areas of hydrogen and carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS). “We have the opportunity to lead on CCUS and hydrogen in the country,” says Jeanette Jackson, CEO of the Foresight cleantech accelerator. A number of federal and provincial programs are providing funding for the cleantech sector. One is the federal government’s $1.5 billion clean fuel fund. Another is the new Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE). In addition, Foresight has a new program, called Grow, which helps more advanced cleantech companies with commercialization. “In 18 months, we’ve supported over 25 B.C. ventures, and
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as of last month those ventures have secured $428 million in capital, $220 million revenue and created over 475 jobs,” Jackson says. Expected to be up and running this fall, the new CICE program is being set up with $105 million in funding from Shell Canada, and B.C. and federal governments. It will help B.C. cleantech companies get to commercialization by working with Canadian industries. The five main areas of focus for the CICE program are: ■ CCUS; ■ hydrogen production, use and distribution; ■ biofuel and synthetic fuel production; ■ renewable natural gas; and ■ battery technology, storage and energy management. While there are opportunities for B.C. cleantech companies in all of Canada’s resource industries — from mining to forestry — the biggest domestic market is in oil and gas. Since Alberta and Saskatchewan have the biggest challenges when it comes to decarbonisztion, thanks to their oil and gas industries and their use of coal for power production, those two provinces represent the biggest markets for cleantech focused on decarbonization. “There will be a huge amount of work on carbon capture,” Klippenstein predicts. “B.C. is absolutely a leader in carbon capture technology.” Hydrogen production and CCUS go hand-in-glove, at least in the Canadian context, since CCUS is a critical part of blue hydrogen production from natural gas. Svante, which developed a new kind of filter for capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from flue stacks, sees big opportunities in Alberta, where hydrogen production from natural gas is seen as a logical transition industry. Svante recently secured the old Best Buy headquarters in Burnaby, where it will set up a new
2021-11-02 3:59 PM
