Battle River Carbon Hub

Battle River Carbon Hub (BRCH), developed by Heartland Generation in partnership with Carbon Alpha, is an open-access carbon capture and storage initiative centered around the Battle River Generating Station near Red Deer. The project envisions transitioning the existing natural gas (formerly coal) power plant into a hydrogen-fired, zero-carbon baseload generator, while also capturing CO₂ from its operations and other industrial sources in the region. Geological assessment steps have advanced through site selection and characterization—interpreting seismic data, well logs, core samples, and legacy information—followed by an appraisal well program to confirm storage injectivity, capacity, and seal integrity in the Basal Cambrian sandstone reservoir. Seeking to store up to 5 million tonnes of CO₂ per year, BRCH aims to support regional decarbonization, hydrogen use, and long-term emissions reduction. This project was one of the 19 selected in 2022 by the Government of Alberta to evaluate pore space for carbon storage, as part of the province’s initiative to advance cost-effective, open-access CO₂ sequestration hubs.