Bringing industry and government together to help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and maintain a competitive economy
Saskatoon, SK (Canada) –
The International Minerals Innovation Institute (IMII) and Government of Saskatchewan are pleased to announce that a collaborative study is underway exploring the potential for carbon capture and storage (CCS) hubs anchored by minerals and power production. The hubs could provide a pathway for reduced GHG emissions from these two sectors while helping maintain a competitive economy. The study is looking at the geological potential for carbon storage in the southern half of the province, transportation options, and designing effective policies for hub development and investment.
Innovation Saskatchewan, SaskPower and IMII are providing funding for the study with Enbridge Inc. (Enbridge) contributing in-kind resources. BHP and The Mosaic Company represent the potash industry and are contributing subject matter expertise. Saskatchewan Energy & Resources is representing the province and contributing policy expertise. The study is being undertaken by the Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC), Enbridge and the International CCS Knowledge Centre (Knowledge Centre).
“CCS hubs are an example of industrial innovation in action,” Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan Jeremy Harrison said. “This study demonstrates Saskatchewan’s continued leadership in cutting-edge CCS technologies and we’re pleased to support this critical step towards deployment of innovative CCS technologies and models.”
In 2021, the International Energy Agency (IEA) published a report, Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector. In its 2023 update (Net Zero Roadmap: A Global Pathway to Keep the 1.5 °C Goal in Reach – Analysis – IEA), the IEA reiterated that CCUS is critical to achieve net zero and identified the growing importance of CCUS hubs to accelerate this technology option and reduce lead times to connect to shared transport and storage infrastructure.
“IMII is proud to partner with the provincial government, SaskPower, Enbridge, BHP and Mosaic to advance the CCS hub concept,” said Al Shpyth, Executive Director. “CCS hubs are increasingly being seen around the world as part of the low carbon business transformation, and we believe they have the potential to help ensure Saskatchewan’s minerals industry remains one of the most innovative and sustainable.”
CCS hubs anchored by mineral and electricity production also have the potential to support the production of low carbon hydrogen from natural gas since that process generates carbon dioxide which could be captured and sequestered.
A public report will be published when the study concludes later this year and will be available on the IMII website. Earlier studies supported by IMII found that CCS is one of two potential pathways with the ability to help the minerals industry achieve Net Zero while meeting the industry’s need for competitive sources of low carbon electricity and heat.
About the partners:
IMII is a non-profit organization jointly funded by industry and government and is committed to developing and implementing innovative education, training, research and development partnerships for supporting a world-class minerals industry. IMII was established in 2012 to support and sustain the Saskatchewan minerals industry for the long-term benefit of Saskatchewan. In its first ten years, IMII has sponsored more than 50 industry driven projects, valued at more than $24 million, and in doing so has leveraged more than $11 million in project funding from outside of its mineral industry and government members. imii.ca
Innovation Saskatchewan supports Saskatchewan’s research community and technology sector to create economic growth and diversity. As the central agency for the Government of Saskatchewan, Innovation Saskatchewan is responsible for implementing the province’s innovation priorities and growing the technology sector. Innovation Saskatchewan develops policies and programs and conducts activities that assist in the implementation of research & development, science, and technology for the province. This includes development and operation of Saskatchewan’s research and technology parks in Saskatoon and Regina. www.innovationsask.ca
Established in 1929, SaskPower is Saskatchewan’s leading energy supplier. We are defined by our commitment to support economic growth and enhance quality of life in our province. SaskPower’s corporate mission: ensuring reliable, sustainable and cost-effective power for our customers and the communities we serve. www.saskpower.com
BHP is a global resources company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia with its Canadian headquarters in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. BHP has a global workforce of approximately 80,000 people working in locations across Australia, Asia, the UK, US, Canada and the Americas. BHP produces commodities essential for global decarbonization and economic development including copper, nickel, iron ore, metallurgical coal and is developing the Jansen potash project in Saskatchewan, Canada. www.bhp.com
The Mosaic Company is one of the world’s leading producers and marketers of concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients. Mosaic is a single-source provider of phosphate and potash fertilizers and feed ingredients for the global agriculture industry. Mosaic has bold ESG performance targets and aims to achieve net zero emissions company-wide by 2040. www.mosaicco.com
Work is being undertaken by:
The Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC) is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1998 to facilitate research, development and demonstration projects to reduce the carbon footprint and increase the production of subsurface energy. PTRC seeks to support industry, governments, and research providers to realize their environmental, social and governance needs. www.ptrc.ca
Enbridge safely connects millions of people to the energy they rely on every day, fueling quality of life through its North American natural gas, oil or renewable power networks and our growing European offshore wind portfolio. Enbridge is investing in modern energy delivery infrastructure to sustain access to secure, affordable energy and building on two decades of experience in renewable energy to advance new technologies including wind and solar power, hydrogen, renewable natural gas and carbon capture and storage. www.enbridge.com
The International CCS Knowledge Centre is a non-profit organization founded in 2016 by BHP and SaskPower to advance large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects as a critical means of managing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving the world’s ambitious climate goals. The Knowledge Centre provides independent, expert advisory services for CCS projects across heavy-emitting industries based on our team’s unique experience developing the world’s first fully integrated post-combustion CCS facility on a coal-fired power plant. The Knowledge Centre also provides input to policy development and promote broad collaboration between stakeholders to enhance understanding of the critical role CCS plays in global decarbonization efforts and accelerate the deployment of new CCS projects around the world. www.ccsknowledgecentre.com