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Four Projects

Ottawa announces $7.5M for clean tech projects in Alberta

Apr 4, 2022 | 2:34 PM

Four significant infrastructure projects in Alberta are getting funding from the federal government.

Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources Canada, announced $7.5 million to support initiatives that will advance emerging clean technologies to grow the economy and help Canada meet its environmental targets.

“The Government of Canada is pleased to invest in projects that accelerate the development of innovative clean technologies that position Canada’s natural resource sectors as world leaders. Through innovative ideas and with dedicated partnerships – like those here in Alberta – we are helping to grow the economy in a way that is compatible with our climate commitments.”

The projects receiving funding are:

  • $3,000,000 to Suncor Energy Inc. in Fort McMurray, Alberta, to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Permanent Aquatic Storage Structure to accelerate the dewatering and removal of contaminants in fluid tailings and, combined with watershed design, to create a self-sustaining boreal pit lake ecosystem
  • $2,000,000 to Cenovus Energy Inc. in Calgary, Alberta, to demonstrate the effectiveness of a partial-upgrading process that is intended to reduce diluent use and the greenhouse gas emissions related to crude transportation
  • $1,500,000 to MEG Energy Corp. in Christina Lake, Alberta, to prove the commercial viability of a process to reduce the viscosity of heavy, bituminous oil through on-site pilot testing
  • $1,050,000 to Seal Well Inc. in Calgary, Alberta, to demonstrate the use of a bismuth-based metal alloy as a more effective sealant to permanently prevent the leakage of gases from producing and abandoned oil and gas wells

Rhona DelFrari, Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice-President of Stakeholder Engagement with Cenovus, says their initiative is one of many that will support their transition to net-zero emissions by 2050.

“We know that progress will require collaboration, and investments in technology and innovation. This project has the potential to reduce the amount of diluent we use in our oil sands operations and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions related to transporting that oil.”

Federal funding was provided through the Clean Growth Program, a $155 million investment into clean technology research, development, and demonstration projects in Canadian energy, mining, and forestry.

Last week, Ottawa unveiled its newly-proposed emission reduction plans, which would see greenhouse gas emissions reduced by 42% below 2019’s levels by 2030. Premier Jason Kenney called this plan “nuts” and pledged to fight it.

READ MORE: Alberta premier calls Ottawa’s greenhouse gas targets ‘nuts’; pledges to fight them