It would seem the hydrogen energy market has caught the eye of Alberta’s new premier, Danielle Smith.
In a recent interview with the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, Smith lauded the fuel source and Alberta’s potential future role in delivering it to the world.
“There’s been something quite dramatic that has happened in this province in probably the last five years,” she told the audience.
“I watched the innovation and the innovators and the new ideas coming up. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen our business community as aligned on this issue that we not only can do this, we can do it better than anyone else.
“And that’s the message that the rest of the world needs to hear.”
Hydrogen is being touted globally as a key role in decarbonization as it produces zero emissions when used as a fuel source.
The International Energy Agency says hydrogen demand reached 94 million tonnes in 2021. It estimates it could reach 115 million tonnes by 2030 under current conditions, noting it is well below the 200 million tonnes needed by 2030 to be on track for net-zero emissions by 2050.
A Bloomberg outlook estimates that in the most optimistic scenario, hydrogen could provide up to 24 per cent of global energy demand — almost 700 million tonnes per year — by 2050.