Calgary, AB – Nine projects focused on improving the management and treatment of oil sands mine water and tailings will receive almost $46 million from the Government of Alberta through Emissions Reduction Alberta’s (ERA) Tailings Technology Challenge.
Worth approximately $133 million, these projects are expected to advance solutions that reduce environmental risks, support responsible site reclamation, and strengthen the long-term sustainability of Alberta’s oil sands sector.
Funding comes from Alberta’s industry-funded Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) regulation. The announcement was made on Wednesday, March 4, at the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering in the CNRL Engineering Complex by Grant Hunter, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas; ERA CEO, Justin Riemer; Peter Zebedee, Executive Vice President, Upstream, Suncor; along with representatives from various projects.
“The world is looking for responsibly produced energy, and Alberta is delivering. With industry leadership and TIER investment, we’re deploying technologies that clean up mine water, protect land and water, and deliver the jobs and competitiveness Alberta needs.”
Grant Hunter, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas
“Alberta is the most responsible energy producer in the world, and we are committed to the protection of our water and environment in every project. This funding backs up our commitment as a province of innovators and solving challenges in the energy sector for the betterment of our future.”
Brian Jean, Minister of Energy and Minerals
“Alberta’s government is taking action to address tailings ponds. These projects will help us continue to provide the responsible energy that communities and the world need, all while protecting our environment and water for future generations.”
Tany Yao, MLA, Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo
“These projects will advance cutting-edge solutions—from water treatment and recycling technologies to enhanced tailings stabilization. This funding aligns with ERA’s increased focus on projects that support improved water management, soil remediation, reduced land use or disturbance, and the reduction of air pollutants.”
Justin Riemer, CEO, Emissions Reduction Alberta
“Innovation remains central to Canada’s oil sands. Industry leaders regularly join forces to invest in advanced environmental technologies, including mine water and tailings management. We look forward to seeing the results of these investments and how they shape the future of oil sands development.”
Kendall Dilling, President, Oil Sands Alliance
Projects are being led by a diverse set of proponents, including the province’s largest Oil Sands mining operators, a post-secondary institution, and small- and medium-sized enterprises. Investments range from $1 million to $15 million per project.
If successful, these projects are estimated to deliver annual greenhouse gas emissions reductions of 4,600 tonnes annually, cumulative reductions of over 23,000 tonnes by 2030, and 79,000 cumulative tonnes by 2050. By 2027, these projects are expected to create approximately 1,400 person-year jobs of employment and $220 million in GDP.
Projects include:
CANADIAN NATURAL RESOURCES LIMITED
Total Cost: $3,100,000 | ERA Funding: $1,500,000
Location: Albian Sands, AB
Pilot two advanced membrane technologies to treat and recycle mine water for use in bitumen extraction under real site conditions to enable large-scale water recycling, reduce freshwater demand, and improve operational efficiency.
CANADIAN NATURAL RESOURCES LIMITED
Total Cost: $3,100,000 | ERA Funding: $1,600,000
Location: Fort MacKay, AB
Conduct a portfolio of research to understand tailings geochemical processes and develop technologies and approaches that enhance water and soil quality at closure, minimize environmental impacts, and provide scalable, cost-effective solutions for Alberta’s oil sands and other mining sectors.
CANADIAN NATURAL RESOURCES LIMITED
Total Cost: $70,000,000 | ERA Funding: $15,000,000
Location: Albian Sands, AB
Advance in-pond mixing technologies for fine and coarse tailings by using inline flocculation for fluid and thickened tailings to create more stable deposits, reduce fluid inventories, and decrease reliance on energy-intensive centrifugation.
Total Cost: $9,400,000 | ERA Funding: $4,700,000
Location: Fort McMurray & Edmonton, AB; Burnaby, BC
Advance an integrated, field-ready platform for high-resolution geo characterization of tailings to improve decisions related to dewatering, consolidation, and water reuse, reducing environmental impact and improving closure planning.
Total Cost: $3,600,000 | ERA Funding: $1,800,000
Location: Wood Buffalo, AB; Acheson, AB
Demonstrate two passive mine water treatment technologies that remove organics, address salinity, and enable year-round water reuse with smaller physical footprints and improved efficiency.
Total Cost: $27,200,000 | ERA Funding: $12,800,000
Location: Kearl Oil Sands, AB
Pilot a process that integrates advanced chemistry and optimized treatment to improve particle agglomeration, reduce tailings volumes, enhance water recovery, and accelerate consolidation, supporting land reclamation and improving storage efficiency.
NORTHERN ALBERTA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (NAIT)
Total Cost: $2,100,000 | ERA Funding: $1,000,000
Location: Edmonton, AB
Develop an evaluation framework in collaboration with COSIA member companies and Indigenous communities to establish transparent performance indicators for chemical additives and tailings treatment technologies. This initiative strives to enable more consistent evaluation, pilot testing, and adoption of emerging technologies across the oil sands.
Total Cost: $9,000,000 | ERA Funding: $4,500,000
Location: Across Alberta
Assess the development of oil sands-specific modular amphibious equipment to improve access to soft tailings deposits to install wick drains and deploy other ground improvement techniques to accelerate dewatering and stabilization to support terrestrial reclamation and dam delicensing.
Total Cost: $6,000,000 | ERA Funding: $3,000,000
Location: Edmonton, AB
Further test advanced membrane-based technologies for treating oil sands mine water to help reduce stored volumes through the potential release of treated water, improve recycling, and advance land reclamation, while lowering emissions in support of mine closure.
“This support will help ConeTec and our partners deliver the next generation of mine tailings geo-characterization. This project provides new data insights on tailings and mine water conditions using innovative investigation technologies, enhancing progressive reclamation and highlighting Alberta’s leadership in responsible resource development.”
Dallas McGowan, Senior Vice President, ConeTec
“Emissions Reduction Alberta and the Government of Alberta are critical catalysts for technology-enabled energy and environmental sustainability. Their funding support strengthens our Albertan partnership to scale and iterate innovative technology for water reuse and purification, enabling cleaner resources from here to the broader world.”
Zac Young, President, H2nanO
“This funding support, facilitated by the Government of Alberta through Emissions Reduction Alberta, will enhance thickener technology designed to reduce tailings volumes and speed up settling time. This work supports our shared goal of responsible resource development through our commitment to research and innovation delivering continued improvements to our operations.”
Cheryl Gomez-Smith, Senior Vice-President, Upstream, Imperial
“This funding will allow NAIT to lead a collaborative effort with COSIA and Indigenous communities to tackle one of the oil sands’ most pressing environmental challenges. By creating a transparent evaluation framework for tailings treatment technologies, we can accelerate innovation, reduce environmental impacts, and support sustainable resource development in Alberta.”
Dr. Heather Kaminsky, Applied Research Chair, Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability, NAIT
“Through collaboration and innovation, we’re advancing projects that directly support our reclamation, water management, and environmental goals. These investments will further advance technologies that enable us to safely treat oil sands mine water, reclaim our mine sites, and return the land to self-sustaining boreal forest ecosystems.”
Peter Zebedee, Executive Vice President, Upstream, Suncor
Solving the tailings and oil sands mine water challenge requires a unified effort among technology providers, operators, and Indigenous communities. Applicants have outlined strategies to involve Indigenous and rural communities, which range from direct participation through Indigenous contractors to robust plans for ongoing collaboration.
Projects were selected through ERA’s competitive review process. A team of experts in science, engineering, business development, commercialization, financing, and environmental impact quantification conducted an independent, rigorous, and transparent review overseen by a Fairness Monitor.
All ERA funding recipients are required to produce a final outcomes report that is shared publicly to help advance technologies toward commercialization. Funding recipients must also report on project outcomes, achievements, and lessons learned, including emissions reductions, job creation, and environmental, economic, and social benefits.
For more information, contact:
Kevin Duncan
Marketing and Communications
Emissions Reduction Alberta
(403)431-2859
kduncan@eralberta.ca
ABOUT EMISSIONS REDUCTION ALBERTA (ERA)
For 17 years, ERA has invested revenues from the carbon price paid by large emitters to accelerate innovative clean technology solutions. Since 2009, ERA has committed $993 million toward 320 projects worth $10.3 billion, helping reduce emissions, create competitive industries, and unlock new economic opportunities.
ABOUT TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION (TIER) FUNDING
The Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) Regulation is at the core of emissions management in Alberta. The TIER system implements Alberta’s industrial carbon pricing and emissions trading system. TIER helps industrial facilities find innovative ways to reduce emissions and invest in clean technology to stay competitive and save money.