Building our way to net zero: Canada breaks ground on nation's largest carbon capture and storage project

CLIVE, AB, Sept. 9, 2026 /CNW/ -- Canada is building the major projects needed to strengthen our energy sector, grow our economy, fight climate change, and reinforce our position as a global clean and conventional energy superpower. As Canada builds its way to net-zero emissions by 2050, investments in clean technologies and emissions-reducing infrastructure are helping drive economic growth while lowering emissions across key sectors.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is key to that mission. A technology that reduces and removes carbon emissions from the atmosphere, CCS has been in use in Canada since the 1950s. Today, it is a cutting-edge sector in which Canada -- especially Saskatchewan and Alberta -- leads, allowing us to decarbonize industries like oil and gas and heavy manufacturing on the way to net zero by 2050. The Canada–Alberta Memorandum of Understanding specifically recognizes the important role carbon capture and storage will play in supporting economic growth, investment and long-term prosperity in the energy industry.

Taking Canada's next big step in our CCS leadership, today, the Government of Canada and Government of Alberta, along with Enhance Energy, marked the beginning of construction of the Origins Carbon Capture Storage (CCS) Hub near Clive, Alberta.

Once operations begin in January 2027, the Origins CCS Hub is expected to be the largest carbon capture and storage project in Canada and one of the largest CCS facilities in the world. The project will initially have the capacity to permanently store up to 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) annually -- the equivalent to taking over 500,000 cars off the road every year -- with the ability to expand over time.

The project builds on Alberta's established carbon management infrastructure and expertise. Connected to the province's existing CO₂ transportation network, the project will initially serve industrial facilities in Alberta's Industrial Heartland and could support a range of sectors, including oil and gas, petrochemicals, cement and power generation. It also builds on Enhance Energy's experience at the existing Clive carbon capture and storage project, which has permanently stored more than 9 million tonnes of CO₂ since 2020 and, according to the company, generated over $600 million in economic activity while supporting more than $1 billion in investment across Alberta's carbon capture value chain together with, over its construction and operations, the equivalent of 50,000 jobs for a year. The project will support skilled trades and construction jobs during buildout and long-term operational and maintenance jobs that anchor communities and industrial competitiveness for decades.

The project reflects the shared commitment of Canada and Alberta to advance major projects that strengthen Canada's economic and energy security while reducing emissions. As Canada builds its way to net zero by 2050, projects like the Origins CCS Hub demonstrate how technology and innovation can help decarbonize industry, attract investment, create jobs and support long-term prosperity. By building ambitious infrastructure that makes Canada and our world-class energy industry cleaner and more competitive, we are building Canada Strong.

Quotes

"We promised Canadians we would leverage our abundant energy resources to be an energy superpower -- and that we would do it in an environmentally responsible way that we could be proud of. Projects like the Origins CCS Hub are doing exactly that: strengthening Canada's energy sector, creating jobs and attracting investment, all while growing our way to net zero by 2050. The federal and provincial governments and industry are working together as one Team Canada to build big things in this country again and to make sure every Canadian benefits from a stronger, cleaner, more competitive economy."

The Honourable Tim Hodgson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

"Alberta is a global leader in carbon capture and storage technology, thanks to our geology, expertise and investment environment. The Enhance Energy Hub will help ensure Alberta produces the most responsible oil and gas in the world while creating investment and jobs in rural Alberta. This project will play a key role in driving our economy forward."

The Honourable Brian Jean
Alberta Minister of Energy and Minerals

"Origins builds on Enhance's demonstrated expertise in the safe, permanent storage of carbon emissions. By providing foundational carbon management infrastructure, the Origins CCS hub will help industries reduce emissions while continuing to produce the energy and commodities that Canada and the world rely on. We are proud this project demonstrates how Alberta and Canada can lead in both economic growth and emissions reduction, and that CCS is a right-now technology that can deliver both."

Candice Paton
Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Enhance Energy

Quick Facts

• Canada has significant geological storage capacity for carbon dioxide, positioning the country as a potential global leader in carbon management and storage.
• Alberta is home to the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line (ACTL), one of the world's largest carbon dioxide transportation systems.
• The Government of Canada has introduced the Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Investment Tax Credit (CCUS ITC) to encourage investment in carbon management projects across Canada.

Related Products

• Canada's largest carbon capture and storage hub breaks ground | ENHANCE ENERGY

Associated Links

• Canada's Carbon Management Strategy
• Enhance Energy – Alberta Carbon Trunk Line (ACTL) CCS Project
• Pathways Plus / Pathways Project Overview
• Enhance Energy

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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

Contacts: Natural Resources Canada, Media Relations, 343-292-6096, [email protected]; Charlotte Power, Office of the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, [email protected]