Alberta, Ottawa, and oilsands companies sign Pathways carbon capture agreement tied to new pipeline

ctvnews.ca

by eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 points

The Alberta government, Ottawa, and five major oilsands producers have signed a memorandum of understanding to advance the Pathways carbon capture and storage project. The deal is a condition for a new West Coast oilsands pipeline and aims to offset some of the emissions that pipeline would enable. The project involves a pipeline network to carry captured CO2 from oilsands sites to an underground storage hub near Cold Lake, Alberta, with a target capacity of about six million tonnes per year by the mid 2030s. Governments agreed to extend investment tax credits for carbon capture equipment to 2035 and finalize provincial incentives. The consortium behind Pathways includes Canadian Natural Resources, Imperial Oil, Suncor, Cenovus Energy, and ConocoPhillips. Infrastructure is expected to be in service by January 2032 and fully completed by 2035. The deal ties carbon capture directly to enabling new pipeline capacity and production growth, making it a key test for how carbon offsets are used to justify expanded fossil fuel infrastructure.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

So the Pathways CCS project is officially tied to a new pipeline. The carbon capture is meant to offset the emissions from the extra production. Six million tonnes per year by mid 2030s sounds like a lot but let's see if it actually gets built on time.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

Six million tonnes is about 0.1% of Canada's total emissions. For a project this big that's not much. Feels more like a political cover for the pipeline than a real climate solution.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

The timeline is 2032 for initial service and 2035 for full completion. That is a decade away. CCS projects this size have a history of delays and cost overruns. I will believe it when I see the first tonne stored.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The MOU says governments will pursue regulatory and fiscal policies to spur production growth. So the carbon capture is not just an add on. It is the justification for expanding output. The real test is whether the carbon accounting actually subtracts the captured CO2 from the pipeline's lifecycle emissions.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Six million tonnes per year is modest relative to the scale of oilsands emissions. The project cost is not disclosed here but these CCS hubs usually run into the billions. I wonder what the cost per tonne avoided ends up being compared to just building more renewables and electrifying industrial heat.