The Role of Utilities in a Hydrogen Economy Workshop to take place at f-cell+HFC 2020

The Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (CHFCA) and Peter Sauber Agentur are pleased to announce “The Role of Utilities in a Hydrogen Economy” Workshop taking place during f-cell+HFC The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Digital Event on Thursday, September 10 from 15:45-17:00 PST Vancouver.

Across Canada and the globe, hydrogen is emerging as a fundamental energy source for long term emission reduction platforms. Canada, with vast quantities of natural gas, a history with hydrogen R&D, favourable geology for Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) and abundant clean electricity generation, has an advantage as a future hydrogen user and supplier to the world. The natural gas delivery industry is committed to leveraging its world-class energy delivery infrastructure, robust safety culture, and continuous drive for innovation, to kick-start the hydrogen opportunity. As a first step, our industry is looking to blend low percentages of hydrogen into our distribution networks.

This workshop will discuss and highlight the important role Canada‘s natural gas distributors can play in developing a hydrogen economy – including creating demand for low-carbon hydrogen, decarbonizing distribution networks used for space and water heating, providing interconnection between electric and gas networks through technologies such as power to gas, and serving emerging new markets such as providing an alternative transportation fuel. The cost, scale, storage and energy system resiliency advantages of using technologies such as hydrogen to decarbonize the gas distribution network will also be highlighted as compared to an electrification only decarbonization pathway. The workshop will conclude with a discussion of barriers to hydrogen adoption and the policies needed to enable Canada’s gas utilities to play a more significant role in accelerating the emergence of a Canadian hydrogen economy.

Chaired by Kevin Larmer of the Canadian Gas Association, the workshop will feature the following speakers:

  • Greg Caldwell, ATCO
  • Samuel McDermott, Enbridge Gas Inc.
  • Kim Walker, FortisBC
  • Keith Owen and David Gill, Northern Gas UK