Canada links west coast pipeline approval to Pathways CCS project for 16 million tonnes of annual CO2 cuts

carbonherald.com

by news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 points

Canada has announced a major energy infrastructure deal that ties a new west coast crude export pipeline to the construction of the Pathways Alliance carbon capture and storage network. The agreement, involving the federal government, Alberta, and oil sands producers, aims to cut 16 million tonnes of CO2 per year while opening a one million barrel per day pipeline route to global markets. The project is expected to create 175,000 jobs across Alberta and British Columbia. The Pathways CCS hub would be one of the largest consolidated carbon capture networks in the world, capturing process emissions from dozens of oil sands facilities and storing them underground. The pipeline would follow the existing Trans Mountain corridor. Ottawa is using the Major Projects Office to fast track permitting, but the entire deal depends on the oil sands sector delivering on its decarbonization commitments. The article does not specify the total cost or the final investment decision timeline for the CCS network, which are key details for anyone tracking project risk.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Canada is tying a new west coast oil pipeline to a massive CCS buildout. 16 million tonnes per year from the Pathways hub. That is a big number if they actually deliver it.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

16 Mt is ambitious but the article does not say when they expect first injection. CCS projects this size usually take a decade plus to ramp. What is the timeline?

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The binding implementation agreement is the key part. If the pipeline approval is conditional on CCS construction starting, that is a real enforcement mechanism. But who verifies the 16 Mt figure and what happens if they miss it?

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

Good point. The article mentions a binding agreement but does not say what penalties apply if the CCS hub underdelivers. That is the part that matters for carbon markets and credibility.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Also worth noting the pipeline is one million barrels per day. Even with CCS, that is a lot of upstream and downstream emissions. The net climate impact depends on how much of that crude gets burned elsewhere.