Alberta green lights detailed study for 6 carbon storage hub projects around Edmonton

Quest carbon capture and storage facility in Fort Saskatchewan Alta., on Nov. 6, 2015. (Jason Franson / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Six new carbon storage hub projects have been granted the green light to move forward with development planning toward creating emission reduction projects in the industrial heartland around Edmonton.

The companies behind the projects, including Shell, Bison Low Carbon Ventures, Enbridge, and Pembina, will work with the province to ensure permanent carbon storage at their respective site and provide "open access to all emitters" and "affordable" hub usage rates.

"Carbon capture and storage is proven, safe and effective," said Sonya Savage, energy minister, in a statement.

"We are ensuring that carbon capture and sequestration will be deployed responsibility and strategically over the long term in the best interest of Albertans," Savage added. "This will help meet the increasing demand from industry and help significantly reduce emissions."

According to the province, only projects meeting "Alberta's rigorous safety and environmental standards" will be ultimately approved by the energy regulator.

The proposed projects include:

• Meadowbrook Hub Project north of Edmonton led by Bison Low Carbon Ventures Inc.;
• The Open Access Wabamun Carbon Hub west of Edmonton led by Enbridge Inc.;
• The Origins Project south of Edmonton led by Enhance Energy Inc.;
• Alberta Carbon Grid north and northeast of Edmonton led by Pembina Pipeline Corporation and TC Energy
• Altas Carbon Sequestration Hub (Atlas Hub) east of Edmonton led by Shell Canada Limited, ATCO Energy Solutions Ltd., and Suncor Energy Inc.; and
• An unnamed sequestration hub east of Edmonton led by Wolf Midstream and partners.

Exact locations will be determined during the regulatory review, and once comprehensive planning is completed, the province says.

The province is accepting further project proposals for carbon storage services until May 2.

Currently, Alberta has two large-scale carbon capture, utilization, and storage projects, Shell Canada's Quest plant and the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line.

The Quest facility, near Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., opened in 2015 and was designed to capture nearly one million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually from oil sands operations. The emissions are stored in a sandstone rock reservoir more than two kilometres underground.

The Alberta Carbon Trunk Line pumps captured carbon from several participating refineries and other industrial plants to old oil reservoirs for storage or future use. At full capacity, ACTL says the pipeline can transport 14.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide but currently gathers 1.6 million tonnes.

In 2019, a special report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identified carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies as one potential emission reduction technology that could be used to limit global warming.

"Alberta is a leader in developing this technology and has some of the most stringent guidelines in the world to protect public safety, the environment and landowners," the province said in a statement.

"Continuing to advance this technology will help Alberta diversify the energy sectors and reduce emissions in many different industries, including concrete and fertilizer, and hydrogen development."