“Congratulations to Shell and its joint venture partners for reaching this historic carbon capture and storage (CCS) milestone at its Scotford Complex near Fort Saskatchewan. Since 2015, five million tonnes of emissions have been safely captured and stored as part of its Quest facility – the equivalent of the annual emissions from about 1.25 million vehicles.
“The facility represents the first application of CCS technology at an oil sands upgrader, and highlights both the energy sector’s dedication to technological innovation, and our government’s commitment to responsible energy development.
“This achievement could not have been accomplished without the significant investment and vision of former premier Ed Stelmach, whose commitment to commercial carbon capture and storage projects led to more than $1.2 billion in government support.
“Today, Alberta is a global leader in this game-changing technology that provides exciting opportunities in many areas, including the development of clean-burning blue hydrogen.
“Our energy is produced under the world’s highest environmental, human rights and labour standards. Alberta has long been committed to a sensible approach to greenhouse gas reductions, including following through on major investments in CCS technology, being the first jurisdiction in North America to place a price on carbon for all large emitters across all sectors, implementing significant methane emissions reductions regulations, and supporting Alberta-made technologies through our Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction system.
“But we know the world is watching and investors expect us to continue to build on our substantive accomplishments. Canada – led by Alberta – ranks third among oil-producing nations in environmental, social and governance, or ESG, factors. And, as we’ve highlighted in Alberta’s Recovery Plan, we have every intention of strengthening these efforts. Thanks to our industry’s experience in CCS and other emerging technologies, Alberta is well-positioned to diversify our energy mix by exploring new less emissions-intensive opportunities, such as blue hydrogen and geothermal development.
“I’m also pleased that Shell has announced that they are proceeding with a significant turnaround over the next few months. At its peak, the turnaround will create jobs for 3,800 workers per day, helping to stimulate economic recovery – while safeguarding the health and well-being of its employees.
“Thank you to Shell for taking the time to share their successes, and I encourage other producers to do the same. Collectively, our voices will tell the world that there’s no better place to produce energy than right here in Alberta.”