Alberta prioritizes oil sands' carbon storage hub, energy minister says
The government of Alberta, Canada's main oil-producing province, plans to move forward "very, very quickly" on its next carbon sequestration hub in the Cold Lake region that will serve oil sands producers, Energy Minister Sonya Savage told Reuters.
Alberta is currently accepting requests for proposals to operate an underground carbon storage hub serving the Alberta Industrial Heartland (AIH) zone near Edmonton. The process to select an operator for another hub near Cold Lake will come "on the heels" of that, Savage said in an interview late on Thursday.
"We are going to need to move on Cold Lake very, very quickly after Heartland," Savage said. "It's a hub that will give certainty to oil sands and heavy oil production."
The government is keen to move forward this year on several carbon storage hubs, where an operator will sequester both their own and third-party emissions, so industries in different areas of the provinces are not at a competitive disadvantage.
Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is expected to be a key part of global efforts to contain emissions from fossil fuel production. It involves capturing carbon produced from heavy industrial processes like upgrading oil sands bitumen and storing it permanently underground.
"CCUS is probably my number one priority file at the moment," Savage said.
Fatih Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency, said on Thursday his organization considered CCUS to be one of the three most critical decarbonization technologies.
Alberta is aiming to aggressively expand its CCUS industry to help cut emissions and safeguard the future of its energy industry as the world aims for net-zero emissions by 2050. Savage's comments show how that plan is taking shape.
There has also been "tremendous interest" in a hub in the Grand Prairie region, where a lot of natural gas processing takes place, Savage added.
Alberta announced last year it would hold a competitive process for how it allocates underground pore space after a number of companies including Royal Dutch Shell, TC Energy and an alliance of oil sands producers proposed CCS projects.
Savage said the province received nearly 50 expressions of interest in leasing pore space rights from industries ranging from energy to petrochemicals to fertilizer production.
The government asked for formal proposals for the AIH first because they received the most interest in that area, and a number of proposals competing for the exact same underground pore space, Savage said.
Alberta plans to select the AIH sequestration hub operators by the end of March, and Savage said projects that will be up and running quickly are more likely to be successful.
"We have suggested to industry that time is of the essence, we'll be weighted more heavily towards project proposals that will be in service at an earlier date," she said.
Savage said all projects will have to go through a regulatory process, and would likely take a couple of years to start operating.
Reporting by Nia Williams Editing by Marguerita Choy
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.