For immediate release
EDMONTON, AB – The Government of Alberta is committing over $60 million through Emissions Reduction Alberta’s (ERA) Industrial Transformation Challenge to 14 projects worth more than $225 million to help the province’s industrial sector reduce emissions and improve competitiveness.
All funding is sourced from the province’s Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) fund. Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, made the announcement alongside ERA’s CEO, Justin Riemer, CEO, on Wednesday, July 12 during Calgary Stampede.
Producing battery materials for electric vehicles, transforming how cement is made and used, using geothermal to power forestry operations, electrifying industrial buildings, and creating a regenerative fertilizer are just some examples of the projects receiving funding.
“Alberta is pleased to invest the TIER fund in leading technologies driven by our province’s forward-thinking innovators. This funding is helping our job creators cut emissions and stay competitive while getting Alberta closer to net zero emissions by 2050.”
Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas
“This investment will help several of our industries demonstrate transformative technologies to get them to market faster. Funding innovation like this will continue to position Alberta at the forefront of clean tech innovation and an industrial leader.”
Justin Riemer, CEO, Emissions Reduction Alberta
If successful, these projects are estimated to deliver annual GHG reductions of 129 thousand tonnes, cumulative reductions of almost 700 thousand tonnes by 2030, and 2.3 million tonnes by 2050. This funding is also expected to create over 1700 person-year jobs in Alberta and have a $337 million GDP impact in the province by 2025.
Funding amounts range from $600,000 to $10 million. Several industrial sectors are represented in the funding, including heavy freight, agriculture, forestry, manufacturing, energy, and more. All projects will be piloted, demonstrated, or deployed in Alberta.
Projects include:
AdvEN Inc.
Manufacturing electrodes for use in energy storage systems
ERA funding: $2,000,000 | Project Cost: $5,730,000
Calgary District Heating Inc.
Demonstrating electrified heating and thermal energy storage technologies
ERA funding: $6,500,000| Project Cost: $14,960,000
Canadian Forest Products
Using geothermal energy at forestry operations
ERA funding: $10,000,000| Project Cost: $28,000,000
Canadian Pacific
Converting diesel-electric locomotives to hydrogen fuel cells
ERA funding: $7,000,000 | Project Cost: $24,460,000
Cando Rail & Terminals
Replacing diesel generators in switching locomotives with lithium-ion batteries
ERA funding: $2,000,000 | Project Cost: $4,000,000
Carbon Corp
Improving the material properties of concrete
ERA funding: $5,000,000 | Project Cost: $10,040,000
CarbonIP
Converting forestry waste to anodes for use in lithium-ion batteries
ERA funding: $1,800,000 | Project Cost: $5,290,000
Litus Inc.
Harvest lithium from aqueous sources
ERA funding: $600,000 | Project Cost: $1,880,000
MakeSens
Energy efficient manufacturing of silicon lithium-ion battery materials for electric vehicles
ERA funding: $940,000 | Project Cost: $3,270,000
McCain Foods
Implement an electric boiler as part of the potato processing plant’s expansion
ERA funding: $1,650,000 | Project Cost: $3,800,000
Replenish Nutrients
Creating a regenerative fertilizer
ERA funding: $7,000,000 | Project Cost: $23,030,000
Strathcona Resources Ltd.
Capturing carbon from natural gas fired turbines used in oil sands facilities
ERA funding: $7,000,000 | Project Cost: $30,010,000
Universal Matter Inc.
Convert natural gas to low-emissions hydrogen and graphene
ERA funding: $7,000,000 | Project Cost: $64,810,000
ZS2 Technologies
Produce magnesium-based cement as an alternative to existing, alternative cement chemistries
ERA funding: $2,000,000 | Project Cost: $6,520,000
“We value the Alberta government’s support through TIER and Emissions Reduction Alberta. Together we can turn Alberta’s bitumen resources into feedstock for manufacturing the next generation of energy storage devices and achieve another made-in-Alberta success.”
Dr. Yanguang Yuan “YY”, CEO and Director, AdvEn Inc.
“ERA’s support for our carbon capture and storage project is an important example of how TIER funding is helping scale emissions-reducing technology from design to deployment. The Government of Alberta is helping move us all closer to achieving shared emissions reduction goals.”
Connie De Ciancio, Vice President, Corporate, Strathcona Resources Limited
“Government of Alberta funding through ERA is critical to fulfilling our objective of addressing soil health to meet consumer demand for healthy, nutritional crops that are produced in a sustainable way. This project creates the opportunity to add value to Alberta’s agricultural sector, diversify our economy, and directly impact global food security risks.”
Gerard Philpott, Chief Commercial Officer, Replenish Nutrients
“MakeSens is committed to contribute to the battery technologies with novel and sustainable manufacturing process. We will make a significant impact on Alberta’s position as a value-added materials supplier in the North American battery supply chain.”
Chaneel Park, CEO, MakeSens
“This funding is critical to Carbon Corp’s relentless pursuit of reducing carbon emissions emitted from the cement industry. With the support of the ERA, this project will allow us to demonstrate a new approach to decarbonizing cement products towards the goal of net zero emissions.”
Kyle Hofstetter, Chief Operations Officer, Carbon Corp
“Government of Alberta funding through ERA is critical to help Cando Rail & Terminals develop a battery-powered locomotive customized for industrial switching operations. This industry-transforming initiative could drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, helping rail service providers and industrial companies moving product by rail meet sustainability goals faster.”
Steve Bromley, Chief Commercial Officer, Cando Rail & Terminals
“Alberta plays a strategic role in the energy sector. And right now, the world needs more lithium to meet the energy transition targets committed to by the automobile industry. We are excited about the role Litus will play in this transition, and we are excited to showcase how Alberta continues to take a global leadership role in energy solutions.”
Ghada Nafie, Co-Founder and CEO, Litus Inc.
“This funding from the Government of Alberta and Emissions Reduction Alberta enables CarbonIP’s technology to establish the province as a pioneer in supplying the North American battery supply chain with renewable critical mineral products.”
Dave Richardson, CEO, Carbon IP
Projects were selected through ERA’s competitive review process. A team of experts in science, engineering, business development, commercialization, financing, and greenhouse gas quantification conducted an independent, rigorous, transparent review overseen by a Fairness Monitor.
All ERA funding recipients are required to produce a final outcomes report that is shared publicly for the broader benefit of Alberta, as well as other funding proposals. Funding recipients will be required to report on project outcomes, achievements, and lessons learned including GHG reductions, job creation, and other environmental, economic, and social benefits.
*A person-year is equal to one-year of employment for one individual.
For more information contact:
Kevin Duncan
Media Relations, Emissions Reduction Alberta
Cell: 403.431.2859
kduncan@eralberta.ca
ABOUT EMISSIONS REDUCTION ALBERTA (ERA):
For more than 14 years, ERA has been investing revenues from the carbon price paid by large emitters to accelerate the development and adoption of innovative clean technology solutions. Since we were established in 2009, we have committed nearly $910 million toward 260 projects worth over $7.3 billion that are helping to reduce GHGs, create competitive industries and are leading to new business opportunities in Alberta. These projects are estimated to deliver cumulative GHG reductions of 40 million tonnes by 2030 and 108 million tonnes by 2050.