EXPERT DELEGATION TRIP AND BILATERAL KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE ON HYDROGEN

“I found the tour to be fast paced, well organized, and efficient in providing the relevant context and addressing questions faced by the Canadian hydrogen industry. The lessons learnt by engaging stakeholders throughout the German hydrogen supply chain provided valuable insights into how Canada develops its own. Moving forward, the connections made during this trip will be instrumental in developing stronger transatlantic connections and in address the global climate imperative.”

Amandeep Garcha, Deputy Director, Natural Resources Canada

“The Expert Delegation from Canada to Germany hosted by RENAC / EP was extraordinary. The meetings and tours which were organized for us have provided me with global context, insights, and experiences relating to clean fuels and hydrogen that would not have been possible otherwise. Moreover, having the opportunity to participate with a group of like-minded colleagues has helped me to expand my professional network into new and exciting areas. I look forward to building on these relationships and applying the knowledge gained through this experience when I return home."

Kieran Hanley, CEO, Econext

“This delegation was a fantastic way to connect a wide array of relevant government and industry participants in Canada with counterparties in Germany. This allows relationships to be built and and insights to be shared which, especially at the infancy of this industry, are invaluable. It also allows each person to take back and share these meetings and insights with others. For example - seeing two German electrolyzer suppliers, building an in person relationship/touch point, and hearing their findings and path forward is meaningful to our thoughts around equipment/partner selection, and our planning for the future. I’ve already shared learnings and insights from the trip with my team, and intend to keep in touch with those I’ve met to see where partnerships can be mutually beneficial.” 

Matthew Borys, Vice President Corporate Development, EverWind Fuels

“The recent H2 Canadian Delegation to Germany in May, hosted by Renewables Academy (RENAC), provided me with a tremendous opportunity to learn about the Germany government’s hydrogen ambitions and initiatives. It’s allowed me to build new relationships with delegates from across Canada as well as with German government and industry representatives. These relationships have already proven valuable as I continue to engage my new contacts on key issues of mutual interest. 
The RENAC office did a fantastic job assessing my interests on policy development - particularly with respect to the transportation of hydrogen and its derivatives- and facilitated meetings with organizations who offered many valuable takeaways that I will continue to consider as I support build out the clean energy sector in British Columbia. Our RENAC host, Cecilia, was absolutely incredible and ensured the entire delegation went as smoothly as possible. The support team from Adelphi & Energy Partnership Secretariat and the AHK Kanada & Energy Partnership Secretariat were incredibly knowledgeable and ensured the delegation felt well supported throughout the week. It’s hard to describe how impressed I was with everyone who worked on making this trip such a positive experience for our entire delegation. 
Thank you Cecilia, Jana, Nicolai and Jens!”

David Coburn, Director, BC Hydrogen Office, British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines, and Low Carbon Innovation

"I would strongly recommend delegations organized by RENAC / EP to others. This was by far the best organized, content-packed, and informative delegation I have participated in. The logistics and planning were excellent and the team was very responsive and helpful. I found the diversity of the program led to some great insights that I will apply in my professional life; in particular, the need for coordinated policy action alongside industry investment and technology innovation. That trifecta of solutions was highlighted each day of the delegation by the excellent choice of site visits, tours, and meetings with decision makers. Following this trip, I will be bringing observations and lessons about Germany’s hydrogen strategy back to Alberta to help inform our discussions around hydrogen economy development, energy transition, industrial decarbonization, and energy exports."

Christophe Owttrim, Executive Director, Technology and Innovation, Emissions Reduction Alberta

"I found the three day hydrogen delegation to be very fruitful, informative, and enjoyable, and would not hesitate to join a future delegation or recommended to another professional active in this space. From the perspective of our government, it was very helpful to have staff level understanding of the dynamics that are unfolding in this very complex marketplace, from both regulatory and industry-based perspective. The organization and a communication around the event was fantastic, and although the agenda was intense, it was worth the effort. Travelling together with such a group from across Canada as well as members of your organizations was also very beneficial, and it is often only while you were away from your desk, and occupied with others, that you gain very valuable perspective and long lasting contacts, another benefit from missions, such as this. 

In terms of future events, we were unable to attend the session on Offshore Wind last year, but that would no doubt been of value to some of my colleagues. As it relates to hydrogen, it is such a complex file with many pieces still in rapid evolution (including challenges related to large-scale onshore wind build-out), that I could see value of related agenda for next year World Hydrogen Summit. 

Coming away from this first mission opened my eyes to what has and what has not already been put in place and it seems very important to stay in touch with the rapid evolution of this sector, as well as to maintain and build valued connections and do so in a cohesive manner rather than each jurisdiction competing for related connections. We also risk going back home and not being able to keep up with these very important pieces. Once again, a big thanks to you for your very professional handling of all aspects of this trip, as well as the participation of your colleagues, all of which was greatly appreciated!"

Toby Balch, Director, Business Investment & Export Development, Department of Natural Resources & Renewables