Enhance Energy has begun construction of the largest carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in Canada and one of the world’s largest CCS facilities. The Origins CCS hub in Clive, Alberta, is planned to store up to 1.5 mtpa of CO2 initially, with the ability to expand in the future. It is expected to be operational by January 2027.
“We promised Canadians we would leverage our abundant energy resources to be an energy superpower—and that we would do it in an environmentally responsible way that we could be proud of,” said Tim Hodgson, Canada’s minister of energy and natural resources. “Projects like the Origins CCS Hub are doing exactly that: strengthening Canada’s energy sector, creating jobs and attracting investment, all while growing our way to net zero by 2050. The federal and provincial governments and industry are working together as one Team Canada to build big things in this country again and to make sure every Canadian benefits from a stronger, cleaner, more competitive economy.”
Origins is supported by two $5 million grants from Natural Resources Canada’s Energy Innovation Program. It is an approved carbon sequestration hub by the government of Alberta. The Alberta Energy Regulator gave Enhance Energy regulatory approval for the Origins saline aquifer CCS project in 2025.
“Alberta is a global leader in carbon capture and storage technology, thanks to our geology, expertise, and investment environment. The Enhance Energy hub will help ensure Alberta produces the most responsible oil and gas in the world while creating investment and jobs in rural Alberta. This project will play a key role in driving our economy forward,” said Brian Jean, Alberta’s minister of energy and minerals.
Plans call for the Origins project to use a pipeline to connect the hub to Alberta’s CO2 transportation network. Carbon initially will be stored at Origins from heavy industrial sources. Origins is planned with the capability to serve Alberta’s hard-to-abate industries, including cement, oil and gas, power generation, hydrogen, and petrochemicals in
Alberta’s Edmonton/Calgary corridor. Expansions could later connect it to existing large emissions sources or carbon dioxide removals in central and southern Alberta.
“The Origins Project is a game changer for both Alberta and Canada,” said Candice Paton, Enhance Energy’s vice president for corporate affairs. “With the largest national CCS site to date, we can compete globally, while leveraging the skills and expertise of local workers. Enhance is proud and excited to bring this project to life.”
Enhance Energy currently operates the Clive CO2 sequestration facility and has safely and permanently stored over 9 million tonnes of CO2, generating over $800 million of carbon credit value and $586 million of economic activity in Central Alberta and backstopping over $1 billion of investment in the CCS value chain in Alberta.