Reflections from Hydrogen Week 2023
And that’s a wrap on Hydrogen Week! I appreciated all the learning and takeaways from the 2nd annual Canadian Hydrogen Conference last week, organized in partnership by Edmonton Global and dmg events. Along with 8000+ delegates from around the world, I soaked in as much as I could about this emerging technology that is supporting the energy transition movement.
Many, many exciting announcements were made to support the hydrogen sector including:
The Hydrogen Hub - with the backing of multiple regional municipalities including Edmonton - launched the 5,000 hydrogen vehicle challenge.
The City of Edmonton launched an RFP for building a hydrogen fueling station in the Edmonton region.
Air Products shared plans for two fuelling stations (by 2025) for their fleet at their site in the city.
The Federal Government announced $1,000,000 to support a station.
The Provincial Government is providing further funding to economic development organizations like Edmonton Global ($1.4 million) to continue with ecosystem-building work like this conference.
All levels of government, including the City, play a role in the policy and regulatory changes needed to clear the hurdles, and make it easier to establish all parts of the supply chain and talent pipeline in the hydrogen economy. Policy also sends a critical market signal to the private sector which further attracts investment. The Edmonton region is uniquely situated globally to take on energy transition through hydrogen with its natural resources, regional collaboration, technological strength in AI and machine learning, and leadership in this sector. Other jurisdictions are looking at Edmonton as a model to learn from.
So many things from the week left a deep impression on me!
The leadership that the City of Edmonton is demonstrating, including getting its first-ever hydrogen bus online in the near future. This stimulates further development of the public infrastructure that is needed to decarbonize and reduce the price point of hydrogen fuel so it can become more economical society-wide.
The many, many female CEOs, presidents, founders, team leads and women in other leadership roles in a tech-heavy sector dominated by men. I met powerhouses who were critical to some of the major investments happening in the region.
The many students in engineering and in the sciences who are working towards a net zero future, with project showcases like the EcoCar out of the University of Alberta.
The several hydrogen technology companies like SBI BioEnergy, C-FER Technologies, and InnoTech Alberta all based in the Edmonton Research Park right here in Ward Karhiio!
When it comes to hydrogen, one speaker said that everyone is looking for the silver bullet solution, but there is no such thing. We need all parts along the spectrum, from the very early stage ideation and development like the work Plug and Play is doing, to the widespread application of hydrogen in fleet transportation, rail, and aeronautics. This week was just buzzing with science, technology, and engineering innovation, with high quality connections and conversations, not to mention a festive street party coinciding with the playoffs. I’m looking forward to next year!
To learn more about all the hydrogen activities that Edmonton is involved in the region, check out this report that will be discussed at the next Urban Planning Committee on Tuesday May 2, 2023.
