Shell, Keyera join to advance Canadian low-carbon plans

Shell Canada and midstream company Keyera said March 8 they had signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on potential low-carbon projects in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland (AIH).

The collaboration would leverage existing assets and projects – including Shell’s proposed Polaris carbon capture and storage (CCS) project – to support a low-carbon future and attract increased investment to the region.

“As Canada’s energy system continues to evolve and change companies both big and small will need to find ways to reduce emissions,” Shell Canada country chair Susannah Pierce said. “The agreement with Keyera will drive increased collaboration to develop low-carbon energy projects and technologies that are needed by society in our journey to net zero.”

At the top of the collaboration list is the development of an open access gathering and distribution network to transport captured CO₂ from Keyera and other AIH emitters to Shell’s proposed Polaris CCS hub, which the company says has the potential to store as much as 300mn mt of CO₂.

Keyera would also leverage an existing pipeline capable of transporting hydrogen to complement a hydrogen manufacturing and distribution network within the region.

“Our strategic collaboration with Shell is founded on a shared vision to advance continued decarbonisation of the energy industry, Alberta’s economic resiliency, and Canada’s objective to achieve a net zero future,” Keyera CEO Dean Setoguchi said. “This opportunity supports the collective decarbonisation ambitions of Keyera and our many industrial neighbors.”