Lehigh Cement and Enbridge Agree to Advance a CO2 Storage Solution in Alberta

Momentum grows for Enbridge's proposed world-scale open access carbon storage hub in the Wabamun area, west of Edmonton, Alberta
Jan 28, 2022 12:00 PM ET
aerial photograph of Edmonton plant

CALGARY, Alberta, January 28, 2022 /3BL Media/ - Lehigh Cement, a division of Lehigh Hanson Materials Limited (Lehigh) and Enbridge Inc. (Enbridge) (TSX: ENB) (NYSE: ENB) are pleased to announce a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on a carbon solution for Lehigh's cement manufacturing facility in Edmonton, Alberta.

Lehigh is developing North America's first full-scale carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) solution for the cement industry at its Edmonton plant, with the goal of capturing approximately 780,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually. Captured emissions would be transported via pipeline and permanently sequestered by Enbridge. Subject to the award of carbon sequestration rights and regulatory approvals, the project could be in service as early as 2025.

With the support of Lehigh and Capital Power Corporation (Capital Power) with their local facilities, Enbridge will be applying to develop an open access carbon hub in the Wabamun area, west of Edmonton, Alberta, through the Government of Alberta's Request for Full Project Proposals process.

Combined, the emissions from Capital Power and Lehigh's planned carbon capture projects represent an opportunity to avoid nearly 4 million tonnes of atmospheric CO2 emissions. Once built, the Open Access Wabamun Carbon Hub will be among the largest integrated CCUS projects in the world.

"At Lehigh Hanson, we believe that carbon capture and storage technology will play a key role in transforming the cement industry and building a more sustainable future," said Joerg Nixdorf, President of Lehigh Hanson's Canada Region. "We are excited about taking the next steps in our ambitious journey to achieving carbon neutrality across the cement and concrete value chain."

"Having a carbon hub solution in place by 2025 is essential for the successful implementation of the CCUS project at our Edmonton cement plant," Nixdorf added.

"Lehigh Cement's pioneering CCUS project is an exciting addition to our proposed Open Access Wabamun Carbon Hub, which is poised to support the decarbonization of multiple industries, including power generation, oil and gas, and now cement," said Colin Gruending, Enbridge Executive Vice President and President, Liquids Pipelines. "This collaboration demonstrates our focus on local, cost-effective, customer-focused carbon transportation and storage solutions that drive scale and competitiveness while minimizing infrastructure footprint to protect land, water and the environment."

"We applaud Lehigh and Enbridge in advancing plans for definitive climate action in Canada with this full chain CCUS initiative and we are proud to be a part of the carbon capture development at Lehigh's Edmonton cement plant," said Mark Demchuk, National Director, Strategy & Stakeholder Relations at the International CCS Knowledge Centre. "Collaborative CCUS solutions like this are a vital enabler of large-scale emissions reductions, across multiple industries, including cement production."

"The Cement Association of Canada (CAC) welcomes the announcement of an MOU between Lehigh Hanson and Enbridge for Lehigh's Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage project in Edmonton, Alberta. This is another positive step forward in the development of Lehigh Hanson's CCUS project, supporting an end-to-end solution for carbon capture and permanent storage," said Michael McSweeney, CAC President/CEO. "These types of partnerships on critical technologies like CCUS are how we will win the fight against climate change and demonstrate to Canadians and the world how our hard to abate industry will reach its net-zero ambition. We are so pleased to see this CCUS project moving forward."

Enbridge Forward-Looking Information

Forward-looking information, or forward-looking statements, have been included in this news release to provide information about Enbridge Inc. ("Enbridge" or the "Company") and its subsidiaries and affiliates, including management's assessment of Enbridge and its subsidiaries' future plans and operations. This information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as ''anticipate'', ''expect'', ''project'', ''estimate'', ''forecast'', ''plan'', ''intend'', ''target'', ''believe'', "likely" and similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Forward-looking information or statements in this news release include statements with respect to Lehigh's CCUS Project and Enbridge's proposed Open Access Wabamun Carbon Hub, including the characteristics and benefits thereof, regulatory applications and approvals, and prospective in service date.

Although Enbridge believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable based on the information available on the date such statements are made and processes used to prepare the information, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and readers are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements. By their nature, these statements involve a variety of assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, levels of activity and achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Assumptions regarding the expected supply of and demand for crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids and renewable energy, and the prices of these commodities, are material to and underlie all forward-looking statements, as they may impact current and future levels of demand for the Company's services. Similarly, energy transition, including the drivers and pace thereof, the COVID-19 pandemic, exchange rates, inflation and interest rates impact the economies and business environments in which the Company operates and may impact levels of demand for the Company's services and cost of inputs, and are therefore inherent in all forward-looking statements. Due to the interdependencies and correlation of these macroeconomic factors, the impact of any one assumption on a forward-looking statement cannot be determined with certainty. The most relevant assumptions associated with forward-looking statements on announced projects and projects under construction, including estimated in-service dates, include the following: the impact of litigation and government, regulatory and stakeholder actions and approvals on construction and in-service schedules; the availability and price of labour and construction materials; the effects of inflation and foreign exchange rates on labour and material costs; the effects of interest rates on borrowing costs; technology-related matters; and the impact of weather.

Enbridge's forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to those risks and uncertainties discussed in this news release and in the Company's other filings with Canadian and United States securities regulators. The impact of any one risk, uncertainty or factor on a particular forward-looking statement is not determinable with certainty as these are interdependent and Enbridge's future course of action depends on management's assessment of all information available at the relevant time. Except to the extent required by applicable law, Enbridge assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made in this news release or otherwise, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to Enbridge or persons acting on the Company's behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements.

About Lehigh Cement and Lehigh Hanson

Since 1956, Lehigh Cement has been an innovator, partner and collaborator in advancing the cement and concrete industry, and supporting Alberta's economy. Lehigh Cement is an affiliated company of Lehigh Hanson, the North American operations of HeidelbergCement. For more info: https://www.lehighhanson.com.

Lehigh Hanson is part of HeidelbergCement, one of the world's largest integrated manufacturers of building materials and solutions, with leading market positions in aggregates, cement, and ready mixed concrete. Around 54,000 employees at more than 3,000 locations in over 50 countries deliver long-term financial performance through operational excellence and openness for change. At the center of actions lies the responsibility for the environment. As forerunner on the path to carbon neutrality, HeidelbergCement crafts material solutions for the future.

About Enbridge Inc.

Enbridge Inc. is a leading North American energy infrastructure company. We safely and reliably deliver the energy people need and want to fuel quality of life. Our core businesses include Liquids Pipelines, which transports approximately 25 percent of the crude oil produced in North America; Gas Transmission and Midstream, which transports approximately 20 percent of the natural gas consumed in the U.S.; Gas Distribution and Storage, which serves approximately 3.8 million retail customers in Ontario and Quebec; and Renewable Power Generation, which owns approximately 1,766 MW (net) in renewable power capacity in North America and Europe. The Company's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol ENB. For more information, visit www.enbridge.com.