Study of Water Impacts of Hydrogen Development in Alberta
With funding and support from Alberta Innovates, ATCO, Capital Power, Hydrogen Naturally, Kiwetinohk Energy Corporation, and the Municipal District of Greenview No. 16, WaterSMART Solutions Ltd. has prepared a report studying the water impacts of hydrogen development in Alberta. In recognition of the potential scale and speed of hydrogen development in the province, this report has been prepared to assess the potential impacts of hydrogen development on water resources across Alberta, and to highlight locations in which available supply may limit hydrogen development.
It is intended to inform policies, regulations, and investments which will best enable the hydrogen sector’s growth, while strategically balancing trade-offs within the water-energy-food nexus context. Project developers and investors in particular should carefully review the analysis in this report on where water supply is likely to be sufficient for hydrogen projects, and where limited water supply will introduce material project risks.
Alberta has committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050 and now must take actionable steps towards achieving this goal (Government of Alberta, 2023). The province is positioned to rapidly advance a hydrogen fuel economy, which has the potential to reduce emissions across many sectors. In addition to its existing uses in oil and gas refining, new hydrogen sources could be used to fuel vehicles and aircraft, heat homes, provide electricity, generate industrial feedstocks like ammonia and methanol, and more. In pursuing emissions reduction and climate change mitigation pathways, it is critical to consider other environmental, social, and economic impacts and trade-offs within the context of the water-energy-food nexus.
