Sarnia, ON – The Honourable Sam Oosterhoff, Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries, visited Sarnia-Lambton today as part of a province-wide tour aimed at exploring low-carbon hydrogen opportunities across Ontario. The Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership (SLEP), in collaboration with the Canadian Hydrogen Association (CHA) and its provincial affiliate, Hydrogen Ontario, hosted Minister Oosterhoff and provided an overview of the region’s leadership in hydrogen production and usage, outlining the local strategy that positions Sarnia-Lambton as a key player in Ontario’s hydrogen future.
Sarnia-Lambton’s industrial corridor is home to many of Ontario’s largest producers and users of hydrogen. Companies such as CF Industries, Imperial Oil, Eastern Power, Cabot, and Enbridge are leading efforts to decarbonize their operations and industries by considering investment in low-carbon hydrogen technologies or seeking access to low-carbon hydrogen as an input.
During the visit, SLEP and CHA facilitated discussions with stakeholders on the future of Sarnia-Lambton—branded as Ontario’s Hydrogen Hub—focusing on economic growth, innovation, and the role hydrogen will play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Minister Oosterhoff’s tour of key industrial sites reinforced the importance of the region’s unique location and industrial assets in driving forward the province’s low-carbon hydrogen strategy.
“Sarnia-Lambton is leading Ontario’s hydrogen innovation with the world-class talent and innovation at Lambton College, strong industry partnerships, and a network of energy expertise driving innovation for a clean energy economy,” said Sam Oosterhoff, Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries. “On this tour, we’re hearing directly from the sector on the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead and how the Ontario government can help build the hydrogen sector of the future—creating good-paying jobs, ensuring affordability, and keeping Ontario businesses competitive.”
Sarnia-Lambton’s proximity to the Enbridge Gas Dawn Hub and geology suited for carbon sequestration makes it a natural choice for hydrogen investments. The region’s long-established energy, pipeline, and logistics infrastructure, research and piloting capabilities, and skilled talent provide a solid foundation for scaling up low-carbon hydrogen initiatives across the various production pathways that will result in long-term hydrogen solutions to drive net-zero ambitions. These make Sarnia-Lambton Ontario’s most immediate opportunity to scale up hydrogen production and distribution, both for local and regional consumption and export.
“Sarnia-Lambton is uniquely positioned to lead Ontario’s hydrogen transition. Our region is not only Ontario’s largest cluster of hydrogen producers and users, but we also have the infrastructure and workforce to support the development of a low-carbon hydrogen economy,” said Matthew Slotwinski, CEO of the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership. “This visit highlights how crucial our industrial corridor is for the growth of this sector and the opportunities it brings for economic development, especially with the net-zero transition in mind.”
Maike Althaus, Executive Director, Hydrogen Ontario added, “The Sarnia-Lambton hydrogen ecosystem represents the future of sustainable energy. The collaborative efforts here between industry and government will hopefully set the standard for how hydrogen can drive economic growth and help Ontario achieve its decarbonization goals.”
About the Canadian Hydrogen Association:
The Canadian Hydrogen Association (CHA) is a national, non-profit association that represents industry, academia, end-users and other stakeholders in Canada’s hydrogen sector. As the Voice of the Sector, the CHA’s mission is to strengthen Canadian leadership, raise awareness of the benefits of clean hydrogen and hydrogen technologies, and accelerate the adoption of its members’ products and services to help create a prosperous low-carbon world. The CHA supports over 200 members across Canada and regional affiliates in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. In Ontario, CHA represents over 90 members across the hydrogen value chain. You can also follow CHA on LinkedIn, X (@PoweringNow) or visit www.canadah2.ca to learn more information.
About the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership:
The Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership (SLEP) is the lead economic development agency for the Sarnia-Lambton area. Funded by the County of Lambton, we focus on promoting the distinct advantages Sarnia-Lambton proudly offers companies and residents. By coordinating community-based economic development initiatives and maintaining a commercially attractive environment, we foster new business creation, help ensure that established firms remain and grow here, and work to attract growing businesses to the Sarnia-Lambton area. For more information, visit www.sarnialambton.on.ca.
For Inquiries:
Maike Althaus
Executive Director, Hydrogen Ontario
Canadian Hydrogen Association
malthaus@canadah2.ca
Matthew Slotwinski
Chief Executive Officer
Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership
matthew@sarnialambton.on.ca