New Hydrogen Innovation Fund launched by Ontario government
February 8, 2023The program will boost opportunities for hydrogen in the Canadian province.
Established by the Ontario government, the Hydrogen Innovation Fund will invest $15 million over the next three years to develop and boost opportunities for hydrogen to be integrated into Ontario’s clean electricity system.
The program will support multiple types of projects.
The Hydrogen Innovation Fund will support electricity capacity, supply, storage, and demand management, as well as bolster the growth in Ontario’s H2 economy. According to a recent news release, specifically, the fund will support these project streams:
- Existing facilities – Presently built or operational facilities that can evaluate how hydrogen can support the province’s clean grid.
- New facilities – Buildings not yet constructed but that could be operational by a specific date to demonstrate how H2 can support the province’s clean grid.
- Research studies – Investigating the feasibility of novel H2 applications and supporting future decisions involving H2 projects.
“The Hydrogen Innovation Fund will help to lay the groundwork for hydrogen to contribute to our diverse energy supply, supporting game-changing investments in electric vehicle production, green steelmaking and clean manufacturing that will create good paying jobs, grow our economy and reduce emissions,” said Minister of Energy, Todd Smith.
The Hydrogen Innovation Fund will help to position Ontario as a clean manufacturing hub.
The launch of the Hydrogen Innovation Fund marks an additional milestone in the implementation of Ontario’s Low-Carbon Hydrogen Strategy. The program will be administered by the Independent Electricity System Operator, and applications for the fund will be open in April 2023.
“As a fuel that can be produced and used with little to no greenhouse gas emissions, hydrogen has tremendous potential to help us meet our long-term economic and environmental goals,” said Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, David Piccini.
According to Natural Resources Canada modelling, hydrogen could make up an estimated 30% of Canada’s fuels and feedstock by 2050 and create 100,000 jobs in Ontario. By making early investments with the Hydrogen Innovation Fund to explore application for H2 in the province’s clean energy sector, Ontario is paving the way for the growth of its own hydrogen economy.
“Our government will continue to support innovation and investment in clean technologies that will position Ontario as the clean manufacturing and transportation hub of the future while leading Canada in greenhouse gas emission reductions,” Piccini.
The Low-Carbon Hydrogen Strategy identifies possible hydrogen hub communities throughout the province, including Niagara, Nanticoke, Brighton Beach and Lambton. In these communities, low-carbon hydrogen demand can be matched with current energy infrastructure and access to Ontario’s clean energy grid.
With over 15 years of reporting hydrogen news, we are your premier source for the latest updates and insights in hydrogen and renewable energy.
Hydrogen Innovation Fund will invest $15 million over the next three years to develop and boost opportunities for hydrogen to be integrated into Ontario’s clean electricity system. It sounds like a joke. What can you buy with this level of funding? When the cost of a small scale Hydrogen production facility is $ 130-170MM, like 20 TPD (tons per day) and an entry level Hydrogen dispensing station (H2 Gas Station with < 50 KG of h2/LH@ dispensing capability) is like $7-10 MM for a single station. I come across these numbers everyday, since I am in this business.
Here is what it will happen. Most of those $15MM will end up in the pockets of few groups who are linked with the GOVT on the name of R & D. While the truth is most of the clean energy related technologies have already been developed, matured and well established.
All such grants, and funding must go into developing the Hydrogen Infrastructure, not R & D which is one big monster to digest all such funds without doing anything. Can you imagine, a city like GTA, does not have even one single hydrogen station and because of that, the Auto dealers are not bring and selling any of the Fuel Cell vehicles.