In order to become the “biggest low-carbon Hydrogen Hub in Ontario,” the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership (SLEP) has mapped up a roadmap until 2050. Recently, a strategic plan was posted online.
Being named Ontario’s Hydrogen Hub would have many advantages, according to Senior Economic Development Officer Matthew Slotwinski, including economic spillovers like job creation and capital investments.
According to Slotwinski, “we believe there is a fantastic opportunity over the next several years to witness the development of the hydrogen economy in the area at various degrees of development, everything from pilot or demonstration scale facilities all the way to commercial operations.”
The Ontario government took into account Sarnia-ability Lambton’s to develop low-carbon hydrogen generation through the Low-Carbon Hydrogen Strategy in April 2022.
“The province and the related businesses can really move toward that low-carbon potential because we can see development in the low-carbon hydrogen space. Reducing carbon emissions is the ultimate objective, according to Slotwinski.
Canada has set objectives to achieve net zero by 2025. The low-carbon hydrogen economy is crucial for achieving that. The Sarnia-Lambton region has the chance, the resources, and the local stakeholders to compete nationally in establishing the hydrogen economy with minimal carbon emissions.
Slotwinski stated that now that the strategy has been unveiled, the ultimate objective over the following few years is to “hit the ground running” by promoting the region and arguing for governmental reforms.
The fact that carbon sequestration is currently prohibited by government regulations is the biggest obstacle we will soon have to overcome. Thus, the carbon emissions that are discharged into the air are taken and buried for long-term storage, according to Slotwinski. The only place in the world where carbon sequestration is now prohibited in Ontario. The Sarnia-Lambton complex will become highly competitive at that point, not just on a national but also on an international level. The parties connected to Ontario’s Hydrogen Hub are working closely with the Ontario government to have these regulations lifted.
According to SLEP’s strategic strategy, by 2030, the demand for low-carbon hydrogen might vary from 25,000 tonnes per year to more than 60,000 tonnes per year.
Similar approaches, according to SLEP CEO Dan Taylor, have sparked investments and the creation of prosperous hydrogen centers in rival Canadian provinces like Alberta.
According to Taylor in a press release, “we have taken the necessary steps to position the Sarnia-Lambton region to capitalize on the burst of economic activity that is expected in coming years and decades. This is due to provincial, national, and international competition for investment dollars and associated projects.
