News & Press Releases

Gatineau, February 25, 2021

Evolugen and Gazifère announce one of Canada’s largest green hydrogen injection projects to be located in Quebec

Evolugen, the Canadian operating business of Brookfield Renewable, and Gazifère Inc., an Enbridge company, are proud to announce one of Canada’s largest green hydrogen projects for injection into a natural gas distribution network in Quebec. The Quebec-based companies, as part of a collaboration formed to advance the development and use of green hydrogen, announced plans to build and operate an approximately 20 MW water electrolysis hydrogen production plant in the Outaouais region. The facility will result in significant reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and generate considerable benefits regionally, provincially, and nationally. The companies unveiled details of the ambitious project at the annual symposium of Quebec’s renewable energy production association (AQPER) taking place today.

The plant will be built in the Masson sector of the City of Gatineau, adjacent to Evolugen’s hydroelectric facilities, which will power the electrolyzer. An estimated capacity of approximately 425,000 GJ of green hydrogen will be produced for injection into Gazifère’s natural gas distribution network, making this the first project of its kind in Canada.

The project will avoid approximately 15,000 metric tons in GHG emissions per year, in addition to generating significant local economic benefits, including new jobs and additional property tax revenue.

This innovative project represents the first phase in the creation of a regional green economy ecosystem centered around the production, distribution, and use of green hydrogen. With ongoing support from the municipal, provincial, and federal governments, Evolugen and Gazifère are well positioned to leverage numerous strategic assets, including access to natural resources and the expertise of the local workforce. The two companies are working together to develop the Outaouais region and put Quebec and Canada at the forefront of the movement to economically reduce GHG emissions.

“As an experienced renewable energy generation developer, owner and operator, Evolugen sees green hydrogen as a natural progression and fit in its portfolio of clean energy solutions.  This project aligns with and furthers Evolugen’s objectives to put its capital, expertise and resources to work to support governments, businesses and communities in reaching their energy transition and decarbonization goals.”

– Josée Guibord, Evolugen CEO

“Green hydrogen can play a major role in Quebec’s energy transition by offering a sustainable, low-carbon energy solution. With the production, transportation and distribution of green hydrogen, Gazifère has the ambition to provide its customers with an increasingly diversified portfolio of renewable natural gas options. This is another important example of Enbridge’s multi-market approach to green the natural gas grid while continuing to meet the demand for safe, reliable and affordable energy.”

– Cynthia Hansen, Executive Vice President & President, Gas Distribution & Storage, Enbridge

“Hydrogen’s time has come. It will lower our emissions and create jobs. Projects like this will get us to net zero.”

– The Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources

“Clean hydrogen presents Canada with an opportunity to leverage our resources and world-leading clean tech sector to drive innovation on transformative technologies and reduce polluting emissions. Evolugen and Gazifère stand out and excel in this field.”

– Stéphane Lauzon, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors and Member of Parliament for Argenteuil–La Petite-Nation

“Hydrogen is seen as a solution to tackle the various energy transition challenges and Quebec has undoubtedly a significant potential in this new sector. We are fortunate to be able to produce green hydrogen thanks to hydroelectricity, which is a renewable energy available at a very competitive cost. In this context, Evolugen’s project is a concrete example that demonstrates all the potential associated with the production of green hydrogen in Quebec.’’

– Jonatan Julien, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Minister responsible for the Côte-Nord region

‘’ Green hydrogen is one of the most promising energy sources to decarbonize Quebec’s economy. Furthermore, thanks to its hydroelectricity, Quebec is very well positioned to become a leader in this field. As a government, our role is to create a supportive economic environment for innovative companies like Evolugen and Gazifère. This is why we have set aside funds within the 2030 Plan for a Green Economy to support green hydrogen sector development.’’

– Benoit Charette, Minister of the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change

“I am very proud of this hydrogen injection project achievement here in our region, Papineau. There is a clear need to support the energy transition to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. This project is an ideal opportunity to diversify the Outaouais economy.”

– Mathieu Lacombe, Member for Papineau, Minister of Families and Minister responsible for the Outaouais region

“We must combat the impact of climate change on our population and infrastructure by showing leadership in energy transition, prioritizing both the development and use of renewable energy.  Which is why we are proud to support Evolugen and Gazifère’s innovative project which will contribute to the fight against climate change while generating important economic benefits for our region, including job creation in this new sector.’’

– Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin, Gatineau mayor

“CREDDO is proud to join forces with Gazifère and Evolugen to help make this sustainable energy project a success. Renewable natural gas and green hydrogen have enormous potential to fuel a green, inclusive, and successful economic recovery. That’s why CREDDO is putting its expertise to work and rallying the community’s key stakeholders around this innovative project, which will give Outaouais a seat at the energy transition table.”

– Benoît Delage, Executive Director, CREDDO

About Evolugen

Evolugen currently owns and operates 61 renewable energy facilities in Canada, including 33 hydroelectric facilities, 4 wind farms, and 24 solar sites, with a total installed capacity of 1,912 MW. As a renewable energy industry leader, Evolugen provides sustainable solutions designed to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future in Canada. Evolugen is a Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. company.

Brookfield Renewable Partners is one of the world’s largest publicly traded renewable energy companies.

About Gazifère

Gazifère is a private corporation employing 110 people, and a subsidiary of Enbridge Inc. Established in the Outaouais region since 1959, it is one of two distributors of natural gas in Quebec. The company serves more than 43,500 residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial customers and owns and operates a 1,000 km gas supply system.

Gazifère holds a franchise for the Outaouais region and currently supplies the city of Gatineau as well as the municipality of Chelsea.

Gazifère has been committed to energy efficiency for many years and began supplying renewable natural gas in 2020. It intends to become the first natural gas distributor in North America to offer an all-green, fully renewable energy portfolio before 2050.

For more information

Rémi Moreau

Vice President, Public Affairs & Sustainability,
Evolugen
613-222-6152
remi.moreau@evolugen.com

Sylvie Demers

Lead, Communications and Marketing,
Gazifère
343-552-5984
sylvie.demers@gazifere.com

Gatineau, December 15, 2020

Evolugen and Gazifère join forces to develop green hydrogen in Canada 

Evolugen, the Canadian operating business of Brookfield Renewable, and Gazifère Inc., an Enbridge company, today announced their collaboration in advancing the development and use of green hydrogen production in the Outaouais region. The parties intend to pool their expertise over the next several years to develop a green hydrogen-based, low-carbon energy ecosystem in Quebec and other parts of Canada.

This collaboration brings together two leading organizations in the energy sector, with Evolugen operating one of the largest renewable power portfolios in the country, while Gazifère is one of two distributors of natural gas in Quebec.

Under this strategic collaboration, Evolugen and Gazifère will seek to carve out a strong position in the fast-growing but highly competitive green hydrogen market. The two Quebec-based companies believe that this endeavour is in line with government objectives, particularly in Quebec, to achieve ambitious energy transition and greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and, ultimately, generate significant economic benefits. Evolugen and Gazifère will also explore development opportunities for innovative green hydrogen projects elsewhere in Canada.

In working with government and industry, Evolugen and Gazifère believe that Quebec and Canada are well-positioned to become a world leader in the production and use of this low-carbon energy source.