TC Energy and Nikola Corporation are evaluating plans for a H₂ production hub on 140 acres in Crossfield, Alberta, 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 FID by the end of 2023; the project will be subject to customary regulatory approvals. 

“At TC Energy, we are energy problem solvers,” said Corey Hessen, Executive Vice President, and President, Power, Storage & Origination. “With our focus on creating low-carbon solutions for businesses, we’ve identified our Crossfield site as a hub to produce and distribute H₂ to serve long-haul transportation, power generation, large industrials and heating customers across the U.S. and Canada.” 

Nikola, based in Phoenix, Ariz., and a global leader in zero-emissions transportation and energy infrastructure solutions, 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. TC Energy and Nikola previously announced a joint development agreement with the aim to locate and build H₂ production hubs in North America. 

The proposed hub would produce an estimated 60 tpd of H₂, with the capacity to increase to 150 tpd in the future. To produce H₂, natural gas is reacted in a chemical plant to separate H₂ and CO₂. The CO₂ generated during this process is then captured and sequestered, lowering the emissions to meet clean-energy standards. 

TC Energy’s Crossfield Gas Storage facility, 50 km (31 miles) north of Calgary, holds 68 Bft³ of natural gas.