Natural Resources Canada (NRC) announced it has awarded $4 million in funding to two projects in the Greater Toronto Area that will strengthen Canada’s clean fuels sector. The projects, submitted by Next Hydrogen and CERT Systems, were accepted as part of the government’s Energy Innovation Program (EIP) Clean Fuels Call for Proposals.
Next Hydrogen’s project is expected to develop a scalable fabrication process and improve the efficiency, performance, and cost of electrolyzer modules. According to a press release from NRC, by advancing low-carbon hydrogen production technologies, the initiative aims to support wider adoption of clean hydrogen energy, with emissions reductions of up to 95% compared with conventional hydrogen produced via unabated steam methane reforming when powered by low-carbon energy sources.
According to the company’s website, Next Hydrogen’s mission is to significantly reduce green hydrogen generation costs from renewable and other clean energy sources to enable widespread adoption of hydrogen solutions to decarbonize the global economy.
CERT Systems’ project aims to advance a process that converts captured CO2 into ethylene. The company reports that this process could result in an estimated 93.8% reduction in life- cycle emissions when compared with conventional jet fuel.
“Building Canada's energy future depends on building and scaling the technologies that will power our economy for decades to come. Investments in Canadian innovators like Next Hydrogen and CERT Systems are strengthening our energy security, supporting growth, and turning Canadian expertise into real-world solutions” said Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson.
Canada’s EIP advances clean energy technologies that will help the country maintain a competitive, reliable, and affordable energy system while transitioning to a low-carbon economy. The Clean Fuels Call for Proposals funded projects spanning the clean fuels value chain, from fuel production to transportation and storage technologies, helping advance Canada’s position in the global clean fuels transition.