Economy

Ontario Investing in Hydrogen to Fuel Province’s Growing Economy – Government of Ontario News

Published

1 year ago

October 12, 2023

MARKHAM – The Ontario government announced the first six projects that will receive funding through the new Hydrogen Innovation Fund, which will kickstart and develop opportunities for low-carbon hydrogen to serve as a clean fuel while strengthening the province’s reliable, affordable and clean electricity grid. The successful projects represent $7.5 million in funding and mark another milestone in the implementation of the province’s Low-Carbon Hydrogen Strategy, positioning Ontario as a clean manufacturing hub.

“Our government is leveraging one of our province’s clear strengths – our world-class clean, reliable and affordable electricity system – to make us a leader in the growing hydrogen economy,” said Todd Smith, Minister of Energy. “Today’s investments, which are part of our larger $15 million Hydrogen Innovation Fund, will kickstart new opportunities for hydrogen to be used as a clean fuel, creating new jobs and driving down emissions at the same time.”

In February 2023, Ontario announced it would establish a Hydrogen Innovation Fund that will invest $15 million over the next three years to kickstart and develop opportunities for hydrogen to be integrated into Ontario’s clean electricity system, including hydrogen storage. The first six recipients of the Hydrogen Innovation Fund, administered by the Independent Electricity System Operator, will focus on the opportunities for hydrogen to serve as a clean alternative fuel for transportation and other end-uses and include:

Enbridge Gas in Markham is receiving $1,787,480 for North America’s first hydrogen driven Combined Heat and Power facility that can also blend hydrogen with natural gas to produce energy.
Emerald Energy from Waste Inc. in Brampton is receiving $2,990,000 for a new facility that will produce hydrogen from waste to test its ability to provide electricity grid services and supply hydrogen to heavy duty vehicles.
Carlsun Energy Solutions is receiving $1,891,400 for a new electrolyzer to test its ability to provide electricity grid services and supply a hydrogen fuelling station in Port Elgin.
Carlsun Energy Solutions is also receiving $500,000 for its Goderich and Seaforth locations to study the feasibility of using off-peak electricity to produce hydrogen for power generation and ammonia for fertilizer.
Kinectrics is receiving $250,000 to study the feasibility of integrating hydrogen production, hydrogen power generation and a hydrogen fuelling station.
The University of Windsor is receiving $130,000 to research the potential of low-carbon hydrogen produced with wind to provide grid services and support the greenhouse sector.

“The potential for hydrogen as a clean fuel is tremendous – in addition to industrial and transportation uses, it can be blended into the natural gas pipeline to heat and power homes and businesses, said Andrea Khanjin, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “We are building on the momentum and support for our province’s low-carbon hydrogen economy in the near term and into the future.”

“As Ontario explores pathways to achieve a low-carbon energy future, one of the fuels that shows considerable promise is hydrogen,” said Lesley Gallinger, President and CEO of the IESO. “The projects announced today will reveal crucial insights into how hydrogen electrolyzers can be integrated into Ontario’s electricity system while producing low-carbon hydrogen for other end-uses.”

These investments build on Ontario’s clean energy advantage as the government makes progress on the Low-Carbon Hydrogen Strategy that laid out eight concrete actions to make Ontario a leader in the latest frontier of energy innovation – the hydrogen economy.

Quick Facts

By 2050, the hydrogen economy could create over 100,000 jobs across the province while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50 megatonnes per year. This reduction in GHG emissions would be equivalent to about a quarter of Ontario’s 2005 emissions or removing 15 million cars off the road.
Under the previous government, surplus electricity generation from Ontario’s nuclear and hydroelectric fleets was sold at a loss to competing jurisdictions. Ontario’s Low-Carbon Hydrogen Strategy will leverage that electricity for hydrogen production.
Hydrogen is a versatile fuel that can be used for vehicles and industrial processes. Hydrogen can also be blended with natural gas in the existing natural gas distribution system while emitting little to no greenhouse gases or other pollution.

Quotes

“Enbridge Gas is excited we’ve been selected as a recipient of the Hydrogen Innovation Fund. Our groundbreaking project – the first of its kind in North America – will demonstrate the potential of using hydrogen, natural gas, or a range of blends, to power a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system. The system can quickly switch between energy sources, making it a reliable and efficient way to reduce emissions. We are grateful for the support we’ll be receiving from the Hydrogen Innovation Fund and extend our thanks to the IESO and the Ministry of Energy for their vote of confidence in the project.”

– Michele Harradence
President of Enbridge Gas

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Economy

PBO projects deficit exceeded Liberals’ $40B pledge, economy to rebound in 2025

Published

3 days ago

October 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

OTTAWA – The parliamentary budget officer says the federal government likely failed to keep its deficit below its promised $40 billion cap in the last fiscal year.

However the PBO also projects in its latest economic and fiscal outlook today that weak economic growth this year will begin to rebound in 2025.

The budget watchdog estimates in its report that the federal government posted a $46.8 billion deficit for the 2023-24 fiscal year.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland pledged a year ago to keep the deficit capped at $40 billion and in her spring budget said the deficit for 2023-24 stayed in line with that promise.

The final tally of the last year’s deficit will be confirmed when the government publishes its annual public accounts report this fall.

The PBO says economic growth will remain tepid this year but will rebound in 2025 as the Bank of Canada’s interest rate cuts stimulate spending and business investment.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.

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Economy

Statistics Canada says levels of food insecurity rose in 2022

Published

3 days ago

October 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says the level of food insecurity increased in 2022 as inflation hit peak levels.

In a report using data from the Canadian community health survey, the agency says 15.6 per cent of households experienced some level of food insecurity in 2022 after being relatively stable from 2017 to 2021.

The reading was up from 9.6 per cent in 2017 and 11.6 per cent in 2018.

Statistics Canada says the prevalence of household food insecurity was slightly lower and stable during the pandemic years as it fell to 8.5 per cent in the fall of 2020 and 9.1 per cent in 2021.

In addition to an increase in the prevalence of food insecurity in 2022, the agency says there was an increase in the severity as more households reported moderate or severe food insecurity.

It also noted an increase in the number of Canadians living in moderately or severely food insecure households was also seen in the Canadian income survey data collected in the first half of 2023.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct 16, 2024.

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Economy

Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales fell 1.3% to $69.4B in August

Published

4 days ago

October 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales in August fell to their lowest level since January 2022 as sales in the primary metal and petroleum and coal product subsectors fell.

The agency says manufacturing sales fell 1.3 per cent to $69.4 billion in August, after rising 1.1 per cent in July.

The drop came as sales in the primary metal subsector dropped 6.4 per cent to $5.3 billion in August, on lower prices and lower volumes.

Sales in the petroleum and coal product subsector fell 3.7 per cent to $7.8 billion in August on lower prices.

Meanwhile, sales of aerospace products and parts rose 7.3 per cent to $2.7 billion in August and wood product sales increased 3.8 per cent to $3.1 billion.

Overall manufacturing sales in constant dollars fell 0.8 per cent in August.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.

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