TC Energy Corporation, together with the insights and involvement of Nikola Corporation, is evaluating its plan for a hydrogen production hub on 140 acres in Crossfield, Alberta in Canada where the company operates a natural gas storage facility.
The plan will be highlighted during the first-ever Canadian Hydrogen Convention in Edmonton, Alberta. TC Energy expects a final investment decision by the end of 2023, and the project will be subject to customary regulatory approvals, it says.
"At TC Energy, we are energy problem solvers," said Corey Hessen, Executive Vice President, and President, Power, Storage and Origination. "With our focus on creating low-carbon solutions for businesses, we've identified our Crossfield site as a hub to produce and distribute hydrogen to serve long-haul transportation, power generation, large industrials and heating customers across the United States and Canada."
Zero-emission transportation and infra solutions firm Nikola will be the hub's anchor customer for its long-haul fuel-cell electric vehicles. The southern portion of Alberta is a key transportation corridor for long-haul trucks, according to the companies.
TC Energy and Nikola had previously announced a joint development agreement with the aim to locate and build hydrogen production hubs in North America.
The proposed hub would produce an estimated 60 tonnes of hydrogen per day, with the capacity to increase to 150 tonnes per day in the future. To produce hydrogen, natural gas is reacted in a chemical plant to separate hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
The CO2 generated during this process is then captured and sequestered, lowering the emissions to meet clean-energy standards, according to the partnering companies.