New Energy Technologies Group
A specialized team to lead Enbridge's work in renewables and low-carbon fuels
Originally published in Enbridge's 2022 Sustainability Report
Enbridge’s investments in renewable energy and low-carbon fuels extend back more than two decades. We’ve explored these energies both to provide them to customers and to power our own equipment and operations.
In late 2021, we created a new team to help facilitate collaboration across our business units in new energy technology. The New Energy Technologies (NET) group now acts as a center of technical and business expertise, ensuring that our business units and organizational divisions benefit from each other’s learning and investments. Throughout 2022, NET has been participating actively in conversations with industry partners as well as policymakers, sharing our perspective and technical knowledge.
Michelle George, Vice President, New Energy Technologies, appeared on several panel discussions on emissions reduction opportunities with new energy technologies. For example, in the fall of 2022, she appeared on a panel at Climate Week NYC to discuss the emissions reduction potential of hydrogen blending in existing natural gas infrastructure. She also appeared at the Energy Disruptors Summit, contributing to a panel on hydrogen as a tool for decarbonization. Enbridge continues to develop new energy technologies, extending our record of leadership in areas such as renewable natural gas and hydrogen (see sidebar). We see this area of work as a vital complement to our growing portfolio of wind and solar projects.
Ms. George is a strong advocate for finding ways to leverage existing transportation and transmission infrastructure which is vital to achieving a cost-effective energy transition. Among many other efforts, Enbridge is currently undertaking a systematic review of our infrastructure to explore where the blending of low-carbon fuels is most immediately feasible, and where it would require upgrades and adaptations.
Low-carbon energies
In addition to building our wind, offshore wind and solar portfolio, we continue to develop new energy technologies, extending our record of leadership in areas such as renewable natural gas and hydrogen (see sidebar).
Carbon capture and storage
The International Energy Agency calls carbon capture and storage (CCS) one of the world’s most critical decarbonization strategies. Work has begun on the Open Access Wabamun Carbon Hub near Edmonton, Alberta, a major CCS project co-developed and co-owned with Indigenous partners. We’re also pursuing CCS activity at our Enbridge Ingleside Energy Center (EIEC) (see page 32), acquired in 2021, and preparing to explore opportunities in Ontario, where recent legal changes have opened up the possibilities for CCS.
A hydrogen-powered operations center
Extending our record of innovation in Ontario by shrinking the carbon footprint of a 120,000-square-foot facility
In Ontario, building heat is the second largest source of GHG emissions. A first-of-its-kind in North America pilot project at our gas utility’s Technology Operations Centre (TOC) in Markham, ON seeks to demonstrate a promising strategy to reduce this source of emissions.
Enbridge is working with 2G Energy and CEM Engineering to install a combined heat and power (CHP) system that can use emissions-free hydrogen to heat and power the 120,000-square-foot facility, where nearly 200 Enbridge employees work. The CHP, provided by 2G Energy, will be able to operate with a range of blending ratios—from a minimum of 25% hydrogen (with 75% natural gas) up to a maximum of 100% hydrogen.
GDS has been producing hydrogen at the Markham facility to blend with its utility natural gas supply since 2018—the first utility-scale initiative of its kind in North America.
I commend Enbridge Gas on continuing to work on innovative solutions that are helping to transform its natural gas grid and support our work on building a clean, affordable and reliable energy future for our province.
Todd Smith,
Ontario Minister of Energy
Renewables
Enbridge purchased our first solar facility in 2008, and we’ve been investing in renewable energy ever since—both to meet the growing demand for clean electricity and to reduce the carbon emissions of our operations. Today, our portfolio of renewable energy assets helps to avoid more than 2 million tonnes of CO2 e emissions annually.
Enbridge dramatically expanded its presence in the North American renewable energy market with the acquisition of Dallas-based Tri Global Energy LLC (TGE), the third largest onshore wind developer in the U.S., with a development portfolio of wind and solar projects representing more than 7 GW of renewable generation capacity. Through this acquisition, Enbridge’s growing renewables business secures 3.9 GW of advanced-development projects and 3 GW of earlier-stage projects.
We continue to grow our in-house capacity to build and operate renewable energy, reinforcing our position as one of North America’s leading developers. We’re investing in the talent and technical capabilities we need to assume full operational control of a larger share of our renewable energy infrastructure, including some projects currently under development. As we expand our capacity to operate every aspect of these systems, we’re able to enhance our operational efficiency—further extending the environmental benefits of the assets while improving our business performance.
Our renewable power generation capacity in Europe is also growing significantly. The new 480-MW offshore wind farm at Saint-Nazaire, which became operational in 2022, expands our total net renewable operating generating capacity to 1.9 GW. One of the three wind energy projects Enbridge has under construction is Provence Grand Large, a floating wind project off the southern coast of France. This floating asset may hold important lessons for the future of renewable power generation in North America, since a key challenge to wind power along much of the continent’s coastline is that seabeds drop off quickly. It’s economically impractical to install turbines in the nearby deep coastal waters.
At Enbridge, we’re proud about the arrival of the Company’s first commercial-scale offshore wind project in France and about our role as a leader of the global energy transition.
Matthew Akman,
Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategy and President, Power
