Ontario has a historic opportunity to be a global leader in developing a clean hydrogen economy, according to a new report published today by the Nuclear Innovation Institute (NII).

The report found that this province has the right combination of conditions needed to produce and market made-in-Ontario hydrogen: strong demand for clean power from its industrial base and transportation networks, and a clean energy grid anchored by nuclear power that is capable of producing a reliable supply of “green hydrogen.”

Titled Seizing Ontario’s opportunity to spark a national hydrogen economy, it urges policymakers to create a climate that encourages growth in investment, companies, infrastructure and talent around hydrogen energy.

Many countries are setting ambitious goals in hydrogen development, seeing it as a source of clean energy that can help them reach the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by the middle of the century.

The report, prepared by the NII’s Bruce Power Centre for Next Generation Nuclear, also found that:

• Hydrogen is an opportunity for Canadians to come together on energy policy because it can be made from different sources, for different uses, in different regions.
• Hydrogen can help lower carbon emissions in sectors of the economy that have so far been resistant to reductions, such as heavy industry, trucking and other forms of transit.
• Ontario has a distinct advantage in developing hydrogen power because the province’s clean electricity grid—built on nuclear power with support from renewables and hydro—can produce an affordable, dependable supply of hydrogen.

“Our province’s electricity system provides ideal conditions for low-cost hydrogen—and through innovative thinking and adaptive public policies, Ontario can become a world leader in this space,” said Bruce Wallace, NII President and CEO. “But we need to start bringing the pieces together to take advantage of our hydrogen opportunity.”

“We will continue to explore market potential and policy development for mass-producing hydrogen using nuclear technology,” said Heather Kleb, Chair of NII’s Bruce Power Centre for Next Generation Nuclear.

The public can read the report here: https://bit.ly/NII-Reports-hydrogen

To complement today’s report, NII launched its “Take a Moment” series of videos, part of the Institute’s public education initiatives to increase energy literacy on topics like hydrogen and nuclear energy.

“Take a Moment to Better Understand Hydrogen”, available to share from NII’s YouTube channel, is a quick look into how hydrogen power is created and why it is seen as a powerful tool to fight climate change. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/1dF4MQNO6F8.

source: media release, Nuclear Innovation Institute