The Hydrogen Centre of Excellence, funded through the Government of Alberta and led by Alberta Innovates, is seeking project proposals focused on hydrogen production, storage, transmission, end use, increased competitiveness and economic diversification. This will continue to position the province as a major global supplier of clean energy exports.

“Hydrogen is the next great opportunity in Alberta’s energy sector. That’s why we created the Centre of Excellence and why we’re looking forward to seeing the many innovative solutions that Alberta companies and entrepreneurs will present. We’re proud to be helping drive the clean hydrogen industry forward, with Alberta ingenuity leading the way.”

Dale Nally, Associate Minister of Natural Gas and Electricity

“Alberta is perfectly positioned to be a leader in providing secure energy to the world. This call for proposals is another great example of how the Hydrogen Centre of Excellence is working with industry to make great leaps forward in production and transmission of clean energy.”

Whitney Issik, Minister of Environment and Parks

The Alberta Advancing Hydrogen – Competition 1 program is now accepting applications. Information on how to apply is available on the Hydrogen Centre of Excellence website. Initial intake submissions are due Sept. 5, with full proposals of approved projects due Nov. 18.

The centre will invest $20 million in funding to support the successful hydrogen projects over 24 months. This funding comes from the Alberta government’s investment of $50 million to launch the Hydrogen Centre of Excellence in April 2022. Up to $2 million is available per project.

“Clean hydrogen is a fast-growing industry and represents an enormous opportunity for our province. Our strengths in natural gas, carbon capture and renewable electricity will help us expand our work in the hydrogen space and diversify our energy sector. Alberta is a global leader in innovative energy solutions and these solutions are helping to create more jobs for Albertans.”

Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation

The Hydrogen Centre of Excellence supports research, development and demonstration that helps companies and entrepreneurs that are building hydrogen technologies. It brings together industry, researchers and small businesses from across the province to advance early stage technologies towards readiness for a global marketplace.

“Demand is growing for clean technology. The Hydrogen Centre of Excellence lays the groundwork in bringing together resident expertise, meaningful and diverse partnerships to grow the province’s clean energy sector. This will help identify and capitalize on new innovation opportunities that generate benefits across the energy value chain and beyond.”

Laura Kilcrease, CEO, Alberta Innovates

The centre is operated by Alberta Innovates, which has a proven record of accelerating Alberta-made technologies. Alberta Innovates is integrating the centre into Alberta’s existing innovation support systems to deliver testing, demonstration, piloting and validation capabilities needed for a hydrogen economy in Alberta.

Quick facts

  • The Hydrogen Centre of Excellence is a pillar in Alberta’s Hydrogen Roadmap, which lays the path to growing the provincial hydrogen economy, attracting investment and accessing global markets.
  • Funding for the centre comes from the Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) program.
  • The TIER program helps industrial facilities, which account for about 60 per cent of Alberta’s total emissions, find innovative ways to reduce emissions and invest in clean technology to save money and stay competitive.
  • Industries can pay into the TIER fund as a compliance option under the TIER regulation. The TIER fund is then reinvested into emissions reduction programs that are bringing investment to Alberta and building on the province’s strong record on environmental, social and governance matters.
  • In addition to TIER funding, the Hydrogen Centre of Excellence will leverage funding from other levels of government and private sector investments over four years.