Minister O’Regan Launches Call for Proposals under $1.5-Billion Clean Fuels Fund to Grow Clean Fuels Market across Canada

June 21, 2021                                        Ottawa, Ontario                                      Natural Resources Canada                   

The Government of Canada is building a low-emissions energy future to strengthen the economy, create good, middle-class jobs and support workers in our natural resource sectors. Producing and using cleaner fuels in our buildings, vehicles and industries is a key step to exceeding our 2030 climate target and reaching net-zero by 2050.

That’s why today the Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., Minister of Natural Resources, officially launched the $1.5-billion Clean Fuels Fund with a call for proposals for projects that increase Canada’s capacity to produce clean fuels.

Minister O’Regan made the announcement during the World Hydrogen Technologies Convention hosted by the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association and supported by the International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Introduced in the strengthened climate plan, A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, and reaffirmed in Budget 2021, the fund grows the domestic clean fuels market, supports the implementation of the Clean Fuels Standard and delivers on early actions outlined in the Hydrogen Strategy for Canada.

The fund supports building new or expanding existing clean fuel production facilities, including hydrogen, renewable diesel, synthetic fuels, renewable natural gas and sustainable aviation fuel. It also supports feasibility and front-end engineering and design studies that will create jobs and enable the sector to grow at the size and pace required to contribute to Canada’s climate goals.

It will also establish biomass supply chains to improve logistics for the collection, supply and distribution of biomass materials, such as forest residues, municipal solid waste and agriculture crop residues, as well as the development of essential codes and standards. These investments benefit farmers, grain handlers, forest harvest operators, saw mills and municipal waste services by opening up new opportunities for both traditional feedstock products, like canola and forest feedstock, as well as new value streams from agriculture, forest and municipal.

The call for proposals for projects to increase domestic clean fuel production capacity is open until September 29, 2021. Natural Resources Canada will provide funding through conditionally repayable contribution agreements of up to 30 percent of the total eligible project costs, to a maximum of $150 million, per project.

Today’s announcement is one of a series of significant steps the government is taking to fight climate change, lower emissions and protect the environment. The Clean Fuels Fund addresses critical barriers to growth, such as upfront costs, in the domestic clean fuels market and lays the groundwork for the low carbon fuels of the future. This includes creating good, middle-class jobs for Canadians, and building a stronger and cleaner economy.