Calgary has opened the doors to a new, low-carbon hydrogen energy hub that could pave the way for environmental stewardship and an economic boon for the city.

The Calgary Region Hydrogen Hub (CRH2), which will be managed by the Transition Accelerator, is a partnership between Calgary Economic Development, the City of Calgary, Wheatland County, Alberta Innovates (Govt of Alberta) and the Government of Canada.

The launch comes after two years of work and follows the same model as the Edmonton Region Hydrogen Hub. It will be funded through $3 million from various orders of government, with officials expecting $75 million in private sector partnerships and create 100 skilled positions.

Brad Parry, president and CEO of Calgary Economic Development, said that the announcement represents a significant milestone in charting Calgary’s future energy prosperity.

“Today, we’re talking taking a step forward in solidifying Calgary’s position as a global leader in a low carbon economy,” he said.  

“Calgary has always been and always will be the energy capital of this country.”

Parry said by 2050, the hydrogen economy could generate $50 billion in revenue annually, and $700 billion globally.

“That’s an opportunity that we simply can’t afford to ignore. We’re uniquely positioned to lead in these efforts. We have the skilled workforce. We have the industry expertise and the infrastructure to develop and scale hydrogen solutions,” he said.

“The Calgary regional hydrogen hub will bring these strengths together to reduce barriers to investment, encourage collaboration and accelerate progress in the hydrogen economy.”

The hub’s purpose is to bring together experts from a variety of industries, along with existing hydrogen producers and innovators in the field.

Zak Cunningham with Transition Accelerator, the organization who will manage the hub, said the location will help define a shared, long-term vision for the hydrogen economy.

They will be building sector-focused advisory teams that will help inform the hub on opportunities, challenges and knowledge gaps that exist.

Six key areas identified

Cunningham said they will be looking at heat, power, trains, airports, municipal fleets, industrial fleets and corridor efforts.

“Using the Transition Accelerator subject matter expertise and experience in hydrogen, we’re hoping to fill up with all the knowledge gaps that these teams may come up with and unearth any answers that are that need to be answered,” he said.

They will be producing public-facing reports that will be shared to demonstrate the conditions required for hydrogen to be widely adopted.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said this initiative is another step forward to help the city reach its ambitious climate goals. She said that these continued partnerships are critical to moving towards the future.

“It’s very exciting day to be a Calgarian,” said Mayor Jyoti Gondek.

“We’re not just talking about the future of energy. We are actively building it, and through the Calgary Region Hydrogen Hub, we are ensuring that our city and our region remain at the forefront of the global energy transition.”

Alberta’s Minister of Energy and Minerals, Brian Jean, said helping build the hydrogen economy has been a focus of his for the past two years. He said that some may believe that Alberta is just about oil and gas – but it’s not.

“Our goal is to be a leader in the development of the fuels of the future, as well as be very good and perfect at the fuels of the present. That includes hydrogen,” he said.  

“The Calgary Regional Hydrogen Hub is a real-life example of our province’s belief in clean hydrogen and the opportunities that we have in this market.”

Calgary Skyview MP George Chahal, who spoke on behalf of Anita Anand, the new minister of innovation, science and industry and the Prairies Economic Development Canada, said that it was an exciting day for Alberta’s hydrogen sector.

“To support a low carbon energy ecosystem all of Canada stands to benefit from Alberta’s competitive advantage in the hydrogen sector, both economically and environmentally,” he said.

“The Calgary region is well positioned to develop a hydrogen hub, given its access to a hydrogen supply, a world-class workforce, and access to major transportation corridors.”

CPKC and hydrogen trains

Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Rail, who hosted the Friday event, is already researching and developing hydrogen-utilizing technology on new locomotives.

James Clements, executive vice president of strategic planning and corporate services at CPKC, said they have 16 “brilliant scientists and engineers” working out of their downtown building who are focused on the development of hydrogen locomotives.

That work started in 2020 with a vision to build a prototype, he said. A year later, they had their first prototype, and now they’re testing a full unit that was just delivered in Golden, BC to test it in the mountains.

“We’re piloting them in revenue service and really testing them in the mountains, where it’s tough and hard on the equipment, and proving that the technology works there,” he said.

Clements said the new hydrogen hub will help foster the creation and delivery of more technologies like the ones they’ve developed.

“I look forward to seeing success from others as this hub grows, brings more and more people together, and we’re excited to continue to bring our expertise and help it flourish and move forward,” he said.