Canada is a top country in the world in carbon capture technology development and investments according to a new report by Wood Mackenzie. The country is highlighted as a global leader both in public and private investments in new commercial CO2 capture projects.
The report points out that the Canadian government is providing major incentives to stimulate the carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) industry. Examples could be the investment tax credit about to be introduced in 2022 for CCUS and blue hydrogen projects or the direct subsidies for major CCUS projects, like the Alberta Carbon Trunk pipeline.
“Publicly announced projects could reach FID (final investment decisions) to significantly increase the CCUS capacity by the end of this decade, highlighting the importance of the learnings from these early-stage, innovative CCUS projects,” as per the report.
Top Carbon Capture Projects In Canada
Some of the major carbon capture plants in Canada are:
- Boundary Dam coal power plant in Saskatchewan – carbon capture and storage (CCS) equipment installed on a 824MW coal-fired plant
- Shell’s Quest CCS at Scotford upgrader in Alberta – captures 1 million ton CO2 per year from a hydrogen production process
- Sturgeon refinery CCS, Alberta – CCS installation on a ultra-low sulphur fuels production process including a bitumen processing
- The Alberta Carbon Trunk pipeline – the world’s largest dedicated CO2 pipeline, capable of transporting more than 14 million tons of CO2 annually.
The report also says that there are currently 13 other publicly announced carbon removal projects in Canada. The total capacity is set to increase by over 500% to 115 million tons per year if all of them come online.
The Canadian government also recently committed $20 million US dollars to Svante’s CO2 removal technology. The company is about to build a manufacturing facility in Burnaby that would allow it to export its technology internationally, targeting the North American market.
Canada is also home to Carbon Engineering – one of the biggest direct air capture companies in the world.
The report highlights Canada’s milestones in CCS development and deployment. Some local firms have emerged as important carbon capture companies in the space, leading the technological breakthroughs and utilization.
