IEPS is proposing to build the Kitsim H2 Project, a hydrogen production facility, in southeastern Alberta, Canada. The Kitsim H2 Project will use electrolyzers, powered by renewable electricity, to break water into its constituent elements of hydrogen (H2 ) and oxygen (O2 ). The first phase of the Kitsim H2 Project will safely and economically produce approximately 2,000 tonnes of carbon-free or “green” H2 annually. At its full design capacity the Kitsim H2 Project is expected to produce over 50,000 tonnes of H2 a year.
The current reliance by Alberta industries on Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) to produce H2 , while economic at current natural gas prices, also produces significant amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2 ). While carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) can be used to reduce CO2 emissions from SMRs and convert “grey H2 ” to “blue H2 ”, this represents an incremental cost that will reduce but may not eliminate CO2 emissions.
Electrolyzer technology, on the other hand, is inherently scalable, can start and stop in a matter of minutes, and only produces H2 and O2 ; there are no other emissions from the process. The technology is reliable, proven and ongoing advances have materially improved electrolyzer economics.
Alberta, already a world class energy hub, offers several unique features that make electrolytically generated green H2 economically attractive. These include: