Federal
June 2024: With the Royal Assent of Bill C-59 and C-69 in June, four Clean Economy Investment Tax Credits ("ITC(s)")—Clean Technology ITC, Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) ITC, Clean Technology Manufacturing ITC, and Clean Hydrogen ITC—were passed into law. Eligible businesses can apply for and claim the Clean Technology and CCUS ITCs now, which are expected to provide approximately $11.4 billion in support through 2027–28. Beginning this fall eligible businesses can apply for the clean technology manufacturing and clean hydrogen projects ITCs.
The Clean Technology ITC supports investments in specified clean technologies, administered by the CRA and guided by NRCan. The CCUS ITC supports taxable Canadian corporations with eligible CCUS projects, administered jointly by NRCan and the CRA. The Clean Technology Manufacturing ITC supports Canadian companies manufacturing or processing clean technologies, covering 30% of investments in new machinery and equipment. The Clean Hydrogen ITC offers a 15 to 40% refundable tax credit for hydrogen production projects, with higher support for cleaner hydrogen production.
Source: Government of Canada Launches the First Clean Economy Investment Tax Credits
April 2024: The Canadian government published a progress report to provide an update on Canada's Hydrogen Strategy. The report highlights major developments across the hydrogen value chain and reports on progress in implementing the recommendations made in the Strategy. It also features projections of hydrogen’s potential role in meeting Canada’s climate objectives and provides a roadmap of Canada’s next steps and priorities in the coming years.
Source: Hydrogen Strategy for Canada: Progress Report
August 2022: On August 23, 2022, the Government of Canada and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany signed a Joint Declaration of Intent establishing a Canada-Germany Hydrogen Alliance committing the two countries to collaborate in the export of clean Canadian hydrogen to Germany.
Source: Canada and Germany Sign Agreement to Enhance German Energy Security with Clean Canadian Hydrogen
January 2021: In December 2020, Canada's Government produced the Hydrogen Strategy for Canada, following the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. The Federal Government has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and clean hydrogen is a strategic priority for the country. For the past three years, the Government has been working with Natural Resources Canada to consult with stakeholders, provincial and territorial governments, and Indigenous partners. The Strategy is the result of this collaboration and consultation process.
Source: Government of Canada - Hydrogen Strategy
October 2019: Natural Resources Canada issued the 2019 Hydrogen Pathways - Enabling a Clean Growth Future for Canadians paper noting 12 potential end-use pathways where hydrogen and fuel cell technologies could be deployed and 10 recommended actions to support greater hydrogen and fuel cell use.
Source: 2019 Hydrogen Pathways – Enabling a Clean Growth Future for Canadians
March 2019: To support Canada's target to sell 100% zero-emission vehicles (which include hydrogen fuel cell vehicles) by 2040 (with targets of 10% by 2025 and 30% by 2030), federal budget 2019 included CAD 130 million over 5 years for zero-emission vehicle recharging and refueling infrastructure, CAD 5,000 incentive for zero emission vehicle purchase and full tax write-off for commercial purchase.
Source: Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Sector Status and Vehicle use in Canada
Provincial Hydrogen Policies
Alberta
April 2024: The Government of Alberta announced $57 million in technology and innovation funding for 28 projects to advance a hydrogen economy, and reduce emissions. The projects cover the spectrum of hydrogen production, storage, transmission, distribution and usage. The funds are to be allocated by Emissions Reduction Alberta and Alberta Innovates, both are provincial public agency.
October 2020: In October 2020, Alberta announced their Natural Gas Vision and Strategy which outlines its plan to become a global supplier of clean energy. One of the key growth areas that will be a focus of the strategy is hydrogen.
Source: Alberta Releases Hydrogen Strategy
September 2020: In an interview with Reuters, the Associate Minister of Natural Gas, Dale Nally, discussed plans by Alberta to announce, no later than October of 2020, a strategy to develop "blue hydrogen" as a cleaner alternative to using natural gas to extract crude oil at steam-driven oil sands sites.
Source: Canada has big plans to use hydrogen to cut emissions - and produce more oil
March 2019: Emissions Reduction Alberta announced funding a three year hydrogen heavy truck project in Alberta.
Source: Alberta Zero Emissions Truck Electrification Collaboration (AZETEC)
British Columbia
March 2023: British Columbia established a new Energy Action Framework to ensure oil and gas sections fall within the province's climate commitments. The framework establishes a Clean Energy and Major Projects Office (CEMPO) to provide dedicated support to clean -energy projects including the emerging hydrogen economy. This office is fully operational and works to fast track clean energy investment within the province.
Source: New energy action framework to cap emissions, electrify the clean economy | BC Gov News
March 2022: The Province of British Colombia is establishing an office to expand hydrogen deployment and streamline projects. The BC Hydrogen Office will work with federal and local governments to help attract investments and simplify the multi-jurisdictional review and permitting processes. There are 40 hydrogen projects proposed or under construction in British Colombia.
Source: B.C. moves to streamline hydrogen projects to ensure clean energy future | BC Gov News
July 2021: The Government of British Columbia has released a hydrogen strategy document – a blueprint for how renewable and low-carbon hydrogen will support its climate goals and create new jobs in B.C.’s growing clean-tech sector. The Province is supporting the B.C. Hydrogen Strategy with further investments announced as part of Budget 2021, including CAD 10 million over three years to develop policy on reducing the carbon intensity of fuel and advancing the hydrogen economy.
Source: British Colombia Government News
July 2021: The Province has amended the Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Clean Energy) Regulation to increase the production and use of renewable gas as well as green and waste hydrogen in British Columbia, generating jobs and economic opportunities while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Source: British Colombia Government News
September 2019: The British Columbia Hydrogen Study commissioned by the British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines & Petroleum Resources, the BC Bioenergy Network and FortisBC was released.
Source: British Colombia Hydrogen Study
July 2019: Completion of a techno-economic feasibility study for the large-scale centralized production of renewable hydrogen in British Columbia.
Source: British Columbia Hydrogen Feasibility Study
New Brunswick
January 2024: The provincial government of New Brunswick unveiled its Hydrogen Roadmap, a five-year plan with 13 actions aimed at leveraging the province’s natural resources and capabilities to develop a sustainable hydrogen industry. This initiative, part of the broader clean energy strategy “Powering our Economy and the World with Clean Energy – Our Path Forward to 2035.”
Source: Hydrogen Roadmap released (gnb.ca) & hydrogen-roadmap-e.pdf (gnb.ca)
Newfoundland and Labrador
May 2024:The Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology announced the launch of the province’s Hydrogen Development Action Plan. The Green Hydrogen: An Action Plan for Newfoundland and Labrador plan will complement the previously released Renewable Energy Plan and Climate Change Action Plan.
April 2024: The Government of Canada has agreed to support the development of Project Nujio’qonik, the country’s first commercial-scale green hydrogen/ammonia facility on the west coast of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Source: Canada backs World Energy gh2s green hydrogen project
May 2023: A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Port of Rotterdam. This partnership will encourage the establishment of hydrogen supply chains to support Newfoundland and Labrador’s export of green hydrogen to the Netherlands, and onward to other parts of Europe.
Nova Scotia
March 2023: Amendments to the Construction Projects Labour Relations Act introduced on 22 March 2023 l broadens the legislation to include large-scale green hydrogen production facilities as Nova Scotia transitions to renewable energy. The amendments will take effect upon royal assent.
Source: Amendments to Construction Projects Labour Relations Act
October 2022: Amendments to legislation introduced on 17 October will pave the way for the production and use of green hydrogen as a clean energy source in Nova Scotia. One bill amends the Electricity Act to expand the definition of the wholesale customer to include businesses advancing green hydrogen projects. The second bill amends several pieces of legislation. Changes include: expanding the scope of the Underground Hydrocarbons Storage Act to include hydrogen, ammonia, carbon sequestration and compressed air energy storage; including pipelines built for hydrogen or hydrogen blends in the Pipeline Act; allowing the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board to also consider hydrogen as part of a gas distribution system under the Gas Distribution Act
Source: Legislation Supports Green Hydrogen Development
Ontario October 2023: The Ontario government announced the first six projects that will receive funding through the new Hydrogen Innovation Fund. The projects represent 7.5 million in funding and marks another milestone in the Low-Carbon Hydrogen Strategy.
Source: Ontario Investing in Hydrogen to Fuel Province’s Growing Economy | Ontario Newsroom
February 2023: The Ontario government is establishing a Hydrogen Innovation Fund that will invest CND 15 million over the next three years to kick start and develop opportunities for hydrogen to be integrated into Ontario’s clean electricity system, including hydrogen electricity storage. This launch marks another milestone in the implementation of the province’s Low-Carbon Hydrogen Strategy, positioning Ontario as a clean manufacturing hub.
Source: Ontario Launches Hydrogen Innovation Fund
April 2022: The Ontario government has released its Low-Carbon Hydrogen Strategy to accelerate the development of the low-carbon hydrogen economy to create jobs and reduce emissions. The purpose of this strategy is to position Ontario as a clean manufacturing hub, supporting new investments to produce electric vehicles (EV) and batteries that power them.
Source: Ontario Launches First-Ever Hydrogen Strategy | Ontario Newsroom
November 2020: The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks has published an Ontario Low-Carbon Hydrogen Strategy Discussion Paper to develop Ontario's first-ever hydrogen strategy. The public and industry stakeholders are invited to give feedback on the proposed strategy, with the consultation closing on 18 January 2021.