Experts eye the future at Canada's largest hydrogen convention in Edmonton
The world of hydrogen landed for the fourth time in Edmonton this week, but attendees who've been around since the beginning say the conversations in just four year have already shifted from how people could use the technology to how they could use it sooner.
The 2025 Canadian Hydrogen Convention kicked off in Edmonton on Wednesday. With roughly 10,000 attendees, the buzz around the industry at the event is palpable. Here's what you need to know about the conference and what it means for Alberta and Canada.
For the first few years of the convention, the conversations about hydrogen looked at the future, but this year seemed to mark a change to the present. The future is here now.
As executive director for the Industrial Heartland Association, Mark Plamondon pointed out while moderating the export outlook panel there was once a time when the organizers couldn't fill a panel about exporting hydrogen because the industry was still concerned with more immediate questions of innovation and building out infrastructure to develop demand.
'We've come a long way in four years,' said Robert A. Booker, CEO of Trigon Pacific Terminals Ltd., who was on the convention's first export panel.
While Canada and Alberta have access to significant quantities of hydrogen, both lack the adequate infrastructure necessary to help take the next step in further developing a hydrogen industry, which in this case means port access using rail, which still needs to be built out.
'The better time to build it was yesterday,' said Patrick McKenna, vice-president of large project development with Linde.
With an election coming next week and several months of tariff struggles with the United States, hydrogen experts said both are likely to have an effect on the industry going forward, which could be good news.
'I think each government will have a different approach. And I think more importantly, not who the federal government is, but is it a majority or minority, and how quickly can we move? Because at least on the Asian side, urgency is key,' said James Vultaggio, vice-president of commercial and business development with Atco EnPower.
With the political environment in flux in Canada, the country's energy future remains up in the air, which can be a deterrent for external investment. On one hand, investors want to see consistent support for the industry. On another hand, investors want to see firm commitment and speed in building out the necessary infrastructure to allow Canada to take the next step towards hydrogen.
Although domestic politics have slowed Canada's growth as a hydrogen-exporting country, international turmoil with the U.S. could actually help it.
'I think it creates a lot of positive tailwinds,' said Matthew Borys, vice-president of corporate development with EverWind Fuels.
'The administration to the south now is focused a little bit more on fossil fuel production, reducing environmental regulations. And to be frank, if they want to cede their seat as a clean energy leader, I think Canada has an opportunity to fill that seat, and we should take it, or at a minimum, advance our clean energy sectors here at home.'
With increasing electrification of a variety of goods, spanning from personal transportation to massive data centres, the increasing demand for electricity is a foregone conclusion. However, Atco expects hydrogen and ammonia to be part of that growing demand.
'We all agree that energy demand is going to continue to grow, and we at Atco believe that hydrogen ammonia will remain a key part of that supply mix, especially in delivery to Asia. Right now, we see a current forecast that Asian demand for ammonia is going to grow by over 400 per cent towards the end of the decade,' said Vultaggio.
The demand is similarly growing on the European front.
In building towards its national management strategy, Dr. Christine Falken-Grosser , who is a director with the hydrogen co-ordination federal ministry of economic affairs and climate action in Germany, said their own demand could reach as high as 18 million tonnes per year within the next decade.
While policy and procedure continues to get hammered out to develop the market for hydrogen, investing in the technology can streamline the industry's growth.
Speaking on the future of hydrogen powering data centres panel, Gregory Vezina, CEO of Hydrofuel Canada, called for better investment.
'We do not invest in basic science in this country like we should,' Vezina said. 'My advice is throw 10 per cent of your revenue or your investment into R and D in product development.
'Don't enrich shareholders. Enrich society. Your company will be better. And guess what? So will your shareholders. That's my advice. Take the longer view and take the real risks that have to be taken to make the big changes.'
Following Vezina's impassioned plea, University of Alberta president Bill Flanagan announced the founding of its new Centre for Hydrogen Innovation, Workforce, Development and Outreach, which will be led by Professor Amit Kumar.
zdelaney@postmedia.com
Edmonton conference highlights growing importance of hydrogen industry in Alberta
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