The location formerly occupied by the coal-fired Nanticoke power station could be developed into a new hydrogen production facility.
Atura Power and Imperial Oil have announced plans to investigate the site’s suitability for such a project.
This spring, the study is planned to begin. It will concentrate on the business and technical elements of hydrogen facility development.
Atura is a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation, which owns the old coal-fired power plant’s property.
“We realize the importance of leadership, inventiveness, and teamwork in assisting Canada in achieving its goal of net zero emissions by 2050,” said Jody Grant, manager of Imperial’s Nanticoke refinery. “We look forward to participating in this study to assess the feasibility of using hydrogen at our Nanticoke facility and collaborating with other businesses and policymakers to bring low-emission technologies to commercial scale.”
The Nanticoke location is well-connected to critical electrical infrastructure necessary to power a project. Imperial and Atura said in a joint statement that the feasibility study will analyze an initial production facility with a capacity of three to ten million kilos.
Atura is executing a low-cost, low-carbon hydrogen strategy to contribute to greenhouse gas reductions while also advancing sustainable energy development in favor of a net-zero emissions future.
Low-carbon hydrogen, the business stated, will be a critical instrument in the fight against climate change.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Imperial to assess the feasibility of establishing a local hydrogen center to help Haldimand County achieve its net-zero emissions objective,” Atura president Chris Fralick said. “Ontario has a potential to leverage our low-carbon power infrastructure to generate low-carbon hydrogen, which will aid in the reduction of emissions in industries such as refining, steel, mining, fertilizer production, and heavy-duty transportation.”
Deputy Mayor Bernie Corbett of Haldimand County said he learnt about the agreement and feasibility study on Tuesday.
“I’m not that knowledgeable about it,” Corbett admitted. “However, I can state unequivocally that Haldimand County would welcome any new industry seeking to establish a presence here.”
He explained that new industry creates jobs and provides revenue for the municipality.
Corbett is filling in for Haldimand Mayor Ken Hewitt, who resigned to run for the Progressive Conservatives in the upcoming provincial election on June 2.
Only last month, the Ontario government unveiled a low-carbon hydrogen strategy aimed at employment creation and emissions reduction. The strategy aims to establish Ontario as a clean manufacturing powerhouse capable of attracting new investments in clean steel, electric vehicles, and their batteries.
When the strategy was unveiled in April, the province stated that it supported Atura’s proposal to build and manage a facility in Niagara Falls, which would more than double Ontario’s hydrogen production capacity.
Atura is also considering a large-scale hydrogen production project at the decommissioned Lambton Generation Station near Courtright.
Atura is also investigating hydrogen manufacturing opportunities in Halton Hills and Windsor.
From the early 1970s to 2013, the former Nanticoke Generating Station was the largest coal-fired power plant in North America. It was shut down in 2013 as part of Ontario’s then-Liberal government’s strategy to phase out coal electricity.
Two smokestacks were destroyed in 2018 and the station’s remaining structure was demolished in August 2019.
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