Mayor Sohi at the Hydrogen Fuelling Station Announcement (Canadian Hydrogen Convention: April 25, 2023)

Happy Hydrogen Week, Edmonton!

Solidifying our region’s position as global leaders in clean energy transition.

The City of Edmonton is committed to transitioning to a low-carbon future, and hydrogen is a key component of achieving this goal. So what IS hydrogen energy? Hydrogen is a clean fuel that, when consumed in a fuel cell or combusted, emits only water. It can be created from natural resources abundant in Alberta, like natural gas and renewable power like solar and wind. The Edmonton region’s active leadership in the global hydrogen economy is essential in achieving our climate resilience and sustainability goals; the industry creates jobs, stimulates innovation, and helps our region unlock its potential. The hydrogen industry presents an $11+ trillion global opportunity. I proclaimed April 25–29, 2023 “Hydrogen Week” in Edmonton, and for good reason!

Mayor Sohi and representatives from ATCO, the Edmonton Convention Centre, DMG Events and Certarus at the ATCO Launch of Hydrogen Blending event (April 24, 2023)

This week, Edmonton hosted the Canadian Hydrogen Convention, which saw 8000 delegates from over 70 countries in attendance. This was the first convention in North America to be fuelled by a hydrogen blending process, powered by ATCO. This year’s Hydrogen Convention doubled in size from last year, had over 100 exhibits and included a street party that saw more than 2000 people — what an achievement!

Thanks to ATCO’s expertise and capacity for hydrogen blending, there is potential for more hydrogen-powered, low carbon events to take place in the future, and the Convention saved over ONE TONNE OF CARBON thanks to hydrogen blending this week! This is just one example of the many ways that the hydrogen economy can spark innovation and transform the way we envision events and daily operations.

With government officials, industry leaders and international delegates in attendance, Edmonton was put on a world stage as a lucrative region for investment, trade, collaboration, and relationship building with our many stakeholders.

Mayor Sohi’s opening remarks at the Canadian Hydrogen Convention (April 25, 2023)

After delivering opening remarks to kick off the conference, I had the opportunity to learn more about hydrogen infrastructure needs, and some of the advantages and challenges that industry stakeholders are facing when working towards their energy transition goals. We know that regional and industry collaboration is the strongest way forward to build infrastructure, increase demand and raise awareness about the benefits of hydrogen, and the success of the Convention demonstrated this sentiment.

At the Convention, I joined Edmonton Global, the Alberta Motor Transport Association and City of Edmonton representatives for two very promising announcements:

1. That the City of Edmonton is requesting proposals from the private sector to build a hydrogen fuelling station in southwest Edmonton. This hydrogen fuelling station will supply fuel for the City’s hydrogen transit buses and for the private sector’s heavy-duty trucks as the transportation industry transitions to hydrogen.
2. That the City of Edmonton’s first Edmonton Transit hydrogen bus (reducing emissions and improving quality of life) will be in service this summer! The City of Edmonton is the first Canadian city to have both battery and hydrogen powered buses in service.

Amidst all of the excitement at the Convention and these important announcements, one thing is for certain: the Edmonton region may just be the best place in the world to invest in hydrogen.

We are already the world’s second lowest-cost producer of hydrogen, with Alberta producing over 60% of Canada’s hydrogen — most of that being in the Edmonton region. The Edmonton region can already make enough decarbonized hydrogen in Canada today to meet the country’s expected 2050 demand, which could make us the leading hydrogen exporter. Thanks to our skilled workforce, our extensive infrastructure and our innovative community, Edmonton is well on its way to becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The future of Edmonton’s economy is thrilling, and climate action remains on the forefront of our green energy endeavours. I am proud of Edmonton’s growth and leadership in the hydrogen industry, and I know that together, we can build a more sustainable and prosperous future for all of us.

To learn more about Edmonton’s hydrogen efforts, visit https://erh2.ca/ today.