Meager Creek geothermal eyed for hydrogen production

Source: Nelson Bennett · BIV · | August 9, 2021

Alberta partnership plans to make green hydrogen from geothermal energy

Source: Artist's rendering of the planned geothermal power and hydrogen production plant. | Submitted

Meager Creek near Pemberton has long been known as one of B.C.’s best potential geothermal energy assets, but developers have poured millions down drill holes over the years, only to walk away.

But a new Alberta company thinks that producing green hydrogen from geothermal power may make the economics work.

Meager Creek Development Corp. has acquired the leases for Meager Creek, northwest of Pemberton, with the aim of building a geothermal power plant and an electrolyzer to produce green hydrogen from water and electricity.

The company behind the Meager Creek Development is Terrador Energy, which involves the principles of Remedy Energy Services, WellDunn Consulting and several other service companies in the energy space.

Richard Hawker, president of Remedy Energy Services, said the company is looking at producing 9,000 kilograms of hydrogen per day. He said the capital coast of the project is about $200 million.

Green hydrogen is made from water and electricity, whereas grey hydrogen is made from natural gas, and blue hydrogen is made from natural gas, but with carbon capture and storage.

As a renewable, zero-emission power source, geothermal energy has one major advantage over wind and solar power: It’s not intermittent.

Geothermal power is generated with steam-driven turbines using hot water from aquifers where the Earth’s magma is relatively close to the surface – typically in fault zones and areas with high volcanic activity or hot springs.