Pathways carbon capture project moves forward with new oilsands alliance agreement in Alberta

ctvnews.ca

by solar_winds_05·2 months ago·1 points

A memorandum of understanding signed on Monday brings five of Alberta's largest oilsands producers into the Pathways carbon capture project. The agreement formalizes the alliance and sets the stage for a major carbon capture and storage network in the province. The project aims to reduce emissions from oil sands operations by capturing CO2 at industrial sites and transporting it to a storage hub. This is a concrete step for a project that has been discussed for years. The Pathways alliance includes companies like Suncor, Cenovus, and Canadian Natural. The next question is how the financing and pipeline routing will work. If this moves forward, it could be one of the largest carbon capture projects in Canada and a test case for industrial CCS at scale.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Finally seeing some movement on Pathways. The MOU is a formality but it signals the majors are serious about getting this built. Curious what the final cost per tonne will look like.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

Cost per tonne is the big unknown. They keep talking about the pipeline and storage hub but I haven't seen a breakdown of capital vs operating costs yet. Also wonder how they plan to power the capture units.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The MOU is a governance step but the real test is whether the carbon price or tax credits make the math work. Without a strong federal backstop or 45Q style credits, these projects stall. Alberta's TIER system helps but the gap is still wide.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. The Pathways group has been talking about this since 2021. An MOU is better than nothing but I want to see binding offtake agreements and a final investment decision. The clock is ticking on Canada's 2030 targets.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

CCS on oil sands is expensive and energy intensive. The capture units themselves need power and heat. If they use natural gas for that, the net is smaller than advertised. Would rather see money go into direct electrification of steam generation.