Green Hydrogen: A Key Component in Canada's Clean Energy Transition

GREEN HYDROGEN:

A KEY COMPONENT IN CANADA’S CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION

- By Rémi Moreau -

Vice-President, Public Affairs & Sustainability, Evolugen, a Brookfield Renewable Company

At Evolugen, we believe sustainability and advancing Canada’s energy transition go hand in hand. As we deliver renewable energy solutions, we recognize the importance of the resources we harness, and the need to limit negative impacts while advancing sustainable solutions for our customers and for current and future generations.

As owners and operators of hydroelectric, solar, and wind energy facilities across Québec, Ontario and British Columbia, Evolugen offers diverse development expertise to action low carbon solutions.

Our energy landscape is constantly evolving and challenging the conventional ways in which we operate. With the need to address climate change ever so vital, our industry must adapt to ensure a sustainable future. Recently, in collaboration with Gazifère Inc., an Enbridge company, Evolugen announced one of Canada’s largest green hydrogen projects for injection into a natural gas distribution network in Québec. To do so, we intend to combine our expertise and infrastructure: Evolugen operates one of the largest renewable energy portfolios in the country, while Gazifère is one of the only two natural gas distributors in Québec.

We announced plans to build and operate an approximately 20 MW water electrolysis hydrogen production plant. The facility will result in significant reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and will generate considerable benefits regionally, provincially, and nationally.

The plant will be built in the Masson sector of the City of Gatineau, Québec, adjacent to our hydroelectric facilities, which will power the electrolyzer. An estimated capacity of approximately 425,000 GJ of green hydrogen will be produced for injection into Gazifère’s natural gas distribution network, making this the first project of its kind in Canada.

The project will remove approximately 15,000 metric tons in GHG emissions per year, in addition to generating significant local economic benefits, including new jobs and additional property tax revenue.

This innovative project represents the first phase in the creation of a regional green economy ecosystem centered around the production, distribution, and use of green hydrogen. With ongoing support from the municipal, provincial, and federal governments, we are well positioned to leverage numerous strategic assets, including access to natural resources and the expertise of the local workforce.

In addition to being in line with the government’s goal to achieve ambitious energy transition targets, our collaboration with Gazifère materializes Evolugen’s goal of being part of the acceleration of this transition.

Future Green Hydrogen Opportunities

Québec is well-positioned to become a key leader in the production and use of green hydrogen, particularly due to its large renewable energy production capacity. Due to the size of Evolugen’s diverse renewable portfolio, in the future, we would also like to further explore and expand green hydrogen development across the country. Considering its wide range of present and future applications, Hydrogen is emerging as a preferred technology to decarbonize Canada’s economy.

Evolugen currently owns and operates 61 renewable energy facilities in Canada, including 33 hydroelectric facilities, 4 wind farms, and 24 solar sites. As a renewable energy industry leader, Evolugen provides sustainable solutions designed to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future in Canada. Evolugen is a Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. company. Brookfield Renewable Partners is one of the world’s largest publicly traded renewable energy.