Ministers Jean and Sawhney elaborate on hydrogen, SMR tech talks right after South Korea journey

“With Alberta’s very long record of dependable vitality growth, we are hopeful about techniques to aid diversify our financial state and make new employment for Albertans when even further cutting down our emissions,” claims Jean. “I am happy we were in a position to meet with Korean providers like POSCO to find out about the enjoyable options that could exist for Alberta organizations to partner with Korean corporations on the hydrogen financial system.”

POSCO alone manufacturers about a few-instances as much steel per year as Canada, and is concentrated on building low-carbon, hydrogen-based ‘green metal.’

It is stated POSCO expressed willingness to enter into discussions with Alberta research institutes and agencies to benefit from Alberta’s hydrogen hub in their very long-expression strategies.

“POSCO research and advancement is looking for cooperation in the discipline of clean up hydrogen and hydrogen ironmaking (HyREX),” suggests Kisoo Kim, senior executive vice-president.

“We are open up to finding associates to be a part of in the investigation and growth of hydrogen-primarily based metal. POSCO is aware of Alberta’s commitment to hydrogen and is knowledgeable of Alberta’s opportunity as a world producer of hydrogen. POSCO views the hydrogen economy as a potential development engine.”

In 2022, Alberta exported somewhere around $1.5 billion really worth of goods to South Korea, and now makes about 2.5 million tonnes of hydrogen every year, creating it the biggest hydrogen producer in Canada.

Hydrogen in Alberta is predominantly applied in industrial functions, this kind of as bitumen upgrading, oil refining and petrochemical producing.

Alberta has fully commited $50 million to the generation of the Cleanse Hydrogen Centre of Excellence.

Meantime, Sawhey and Jean were also in South Korea to speak the use of small modular reactor tech.

“I am dedicated to strengthening partnerships to mature Alberta’s international trade and was fascinated in the possible of Korea’s technologies to supply non-emitting electrical power,” suggests Sawhney.

“We have agreed to supply pathfinding products and services to these Korean agencies as they seek out a non-public sector companion. We are ready to guide SMR proponents in securing federal government aid like the not too long ago introduced federal backing for Ontario Electric power Generation’s SMR project in Ontario.”

The agencies incorporate the Korean Ministry of Science, the Korean Atomic Electricity Study Institute (KAERI), Korean Hydro Nuclear Power (KHNP), Hyundai Engineering and GS Engineering.

In accordance to a Authorities of Alberta release, Korean government-owned KAERI is seeking to transfer its proprietary Clever smaller modular reactor systems into Alberta with a perspective to securing an oilsands lover to deploy SMRs as a non-emitting resource of steam for bitumen creation.

Korea’s prolonged-standing atomic vitality skills, the province carries on, is designed on their achievements with Canadian Candu reactors in the 1970s and their basic safety devices and processes intently mirror these of Canada. Alberta’s federal government has agreed to supply pathfinding solutions to KAERI to speed probable investments.

“We think Wise deployment in Alberta could provide as a groundbreaking case in point for international carbon reduction initiatives,” suggests Joo Han Gyu, president, KAERI.

“We value the foresight and management of the Govt of Alberta towards a cleaner and more sustainable electrical power potential. KAERI’s newest progress in Wise technological know-how necessarily mean that KAERI is poised to make a significant contribution in direction of a more sustainable and affluent foreseeable future for Alberta.”

The province provides that these conversations on Korean SMR systems establish on the operate begun in August 2022 by previous premier Jason Kenney.

Any SMR technology deployed in Alberta should meet up with Canadian safety needs.