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

September 9, 2026                                                    Clive, Alberta                                                         Natural Resources Canada

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.