Page 195 - CW E-Magazine (10-12-2024)

Special Report Special Report

North West
Territories
British
Columbia
NORTH POLE
(ARCTIC CENTRED MAP)
ALBERTA’S
Manitoba INDUSTRIAL
HEARTLAND
(AIH)
Saskatchewan
PRINCE RUPERT VANCOUVER
HONG KONG TIANJIN
QINGDAO
SHANGHAI
BUSAN
SHORTEST
SAILING TIMES
TOKYO
12 DAYS 14 DAYS

continental transportation network, distance to East Asian markets as the cost blue hydrogen, including blue
with Alberta’s renowned highway US Gulf Coast, and a third shorter ammonia for export to East Asian
transportation network and Canada’s than the Mideast, providing exporters markets, according to Plamondon.
two Class I rail providers intersecting in the AIH with a substantial transpor-
in the Heartland. These provide highly tation cost advantage over exporters “Companies have been producing
integrated service to points through- from those two major hydrocarbon grey hydrogen for decades in the Heart-
out the province, country, and beyond, processing regions, Plamondon said land and are among the lowest cost pro-
while ongoing and future planned (see Fig. 3). ducers in the world,” he said. “And over
expansions will continue to improve the past decade signifi cant amounts of
access to these continental and global Other advantages of the Heartland, blue hydrogen production capacity has
markets,” Plamondon said. according to Plamondon, include large come online.When paired with proven
tracks of undeveloped fl at land well- CO sequestration capability in the
2
For example, on September 19, suited for industrial development, ample region, the AIH offers advantages that
2024, Manitoba-based Cando Rail & fresh water supply from the North outpace other jurisdictions.”
Terminals announced plans to double Saskatchewan River – blue hydrogen/
the size of its Sturgeon Multi-Purpose ammonia production is extremely water- In 2023, Alberta produced
Rail Terminal, including adding the intensive – and underground salt depo- about 2.5-mt of hydrogen, including
Albertan and Canadian governments government introduced the Alberta In June 2024, the Canadian govern- ability to stage 12,000-foot unit trains sitsin which caverns could be carved 500,000-tonnes of blue hydrogen, with
have recently adopted programs to Carbon Capture Incentive Program ment’s CCUS Investment Tax Credit to improve service, especially to the for low-cost, large-scale storage of AIH accounting for about 40% of the
support emission reductions by large (ACCIP), a grant program with similar (ITC) and Clean Hydrogen ITC became Port of Prince Rupert, the AIH’s main natural gas feedstock and hydrogen. former and over two-thirds of the latter.
industrial emitters, including hydrogen criteria as the previously mentioned law. conduit for blue ammonia exports to The Nutrien fertilizer plant produces
producers. APIP, but for carbon capture, utiliza- East Asia. The Heartland’s hydrogen advantage almost170,000-tpa of blue hydrogen,
tion, and storage (CCUS) projects Transportation advantage AIH is very well positionedto pro- Shell’s upgrader at Scotford over
In December 2023, the provincial located in the province instead. “AIH is at the heart of a world-class Prince Rupert is half the shipping duce large amounts of relatively low- 150,000-tpa, and the NWR Sturgeon

194 Chemical Weekly December 10, 2024 Chemical Weekly December 10, 2024 195

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