Funding supports a range of early- and late-stage technology projects including plastics recycling, bitumen beyond combustion, processing of critical minerals, and more.
EDMONTON, AB – The Government of Alberta is investing $40 million from the Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) fund into ERA’s new Advanced Materials Challenge. This new funding competition is focused on advancing technology solutions that shape the circular economy and create low emissions products, including plastics, concrete, food, wood, carbon materials, chemicals, and more.
Potential technologies range from creating non-combustion products from bitumen, improved circularity for the plastics value chain, waste management, recovery, and recycling, processing of critical minerals, and producing materials from carbon dioxide.
The Advanced Materials Challenge will increase the competitiveness of Alberta’s manufacturing and resource sectors, grow new provincial industries with export potential, and reduce the carbon footprint of material supply chains.
Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, and Justin Riemer, CEO of ERA, made the announcement at COP29 in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan. ERA will work closely with Alberta Innovates to ensure a broad scope of both early- and late-stage technologies are supported.
“We have the resources, expertise and entrepreneurs needed to create some of the most advanced materials in the world. This funding competition will help develop new and exciting technologies that will help reduce emissions, create jobs, re-use waste and keep growing our economy.”
Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas
“Enhancing existing products and developing new materials with superior performance while embracing circular economy strategies will help deliver deeper emissions reductions, enhance supply chain resiliency, and strengthen industrial competitiveness. This funding, sourced from Alberta’s TIER regulation, is critical and the possibilities are endless.”
Justin Riemer, CEO, Emissions Reduction Alberta
“Emerging technology solutions, such as creating advanced carbon products from bitumen, are critical to lowering emissions and creating jobs in the province. Alberta Innovates is pleased to support this call and work closely with ERA to realize a new future for Albertans.”Dr. Michael Mahon, Chief Executive Officer, Alberta Innovates
Dr. Michael Mahon, Chief Executive Officer, Alberta Innovates
This new $40 million funding opportunity is targeted at scale-up, pilot, demonstration, and first-of-kind commercial projects of technologies and solutions related to the extraction, production, manufacturing, performance improvement, and circular lifecycle of new and existing material products in Alberta.
ERA is seeking applications emerging technologies in Alberta and are at a critical stage where funding support can significantly accelerate development and commercialization, including but not limited to creating novel carbon materials from our bitumen resource, circular plastics, extracting high value metals (vanadium, titanium, and lithium) found within Alberta’s natural resources, novel sorbents, material performance enhancements, and more.
“By transforming our abundant natural resources into advanced, low-carbon materials, we are not only driving emissions reductions but also creating valuable opportunities for industry growth and export potential. The Government of Alberta’s investment through ERA’s Advanced Materials Challenge demonstrates a commitment to building a resilient economy that harnesses Alberta’s strengths in new and sustainable ways.”
Dr. Md Golam Kibria, Co-founder and Scientific Director, CarboMat Inc.
“By harnessing technology, we can advance Alberta’s circular economy. Funding programs like ERA’s $40 million Advanced Materials Challenge foster innovation and cultivate made-in-Alberta solutions. ARMA proudly supports these initiatives, shaping the future of recycling in our province and bringing us closer to a future without waste.”
Ed Gugenheimer, Chief Executive Officer, Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA)
“The circular economy allows us to retain the highest value from our resources, through material reuse and recovery. Businesses and industries are embracing this model as a major economic opportunity to eliminate waste, improve productivity, enhance competitiveness, and maximize value. ERA’s new Advanced Materials Challenge is well aligned to support and inspire innovators at the forefront of the emerging circular economy in Canada.”
Paul Shorthouse, Managing Director, Circular Economy Leadership Canada (CELC)
While technology solutions can originate from anywhere globally, they must be piloted, demonstrated, or deployed in Alberta. Successful applicants are eligible for up to $5 million with a minimum request of $250,000. The maximum ERA contribution to a single project will be no more than 50 per cent of the project’s eligible costs. The application deadline is Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at 5 p.m. (MST).
Innovators, technology developers, commercial and industrial building owners, municipalities, Indigenous communities, associations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), research and development organizations, universities, not-for-profit organizations, and others are invited to apply. An informational webinar will be held on Wednesday, November 27 from 1-2 p.m. (MST).
Submissions will be selected through ERA’s competitive review process. A team of experts in science, engineering, business development, commercialization, financing, and GHG quantification will conduct an independent, rigorous, transparent review overseen by a Fairness Monitor.
For more information contact:
Kevin Duncan
Emissions Reduction Alberta
403.431.2859
kduncan@eralberta.ca
ABOUT EMISSIONS REDUCTION ALBERTA (ERA)
ERA is funded by the Government of Alberta’s Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) Regulation. For 15 years, ERA has been investing the revenues from the carbon price paid by large final emitters to accelerate the development and adoption of innovative clean technology solutions. Since ERA was established in 2009, over $954 million has been committed toward 296 projects worth over $7.4 billion that are helping to reduce GHGs, create competitive industries, and lead to new business opportunities in Alberta. These projects are estimated to deliver cumulative reductions of 36 million tonnes of CO₂e by 2030 and 102 million tonnes of CO₂e by 2050. Please visit https://eralberta.ca.