cmglee, Meclee, Flappiefh, Lokal_Profil et al., CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
EDMONTON — Alberta is investing $20 million from its Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction fund in four projects aimed at improving industrial competitiveness and reducing emissions, including new technology designed to make transporting bitumen more efficient.
The provincial government says the projects will help companies test, scale and commercialize technologies in several key Alberta industries.
In Hardisty, new pipeline technology will be tested with the goal of improving the efficiency of bitumen transportation. Bitumen produced in Alberta’s oilsands, including the Fort McMurray region, is transported by pipeline to markets and refineries.
Other projects include a new hydrogen transportation hub in the Brooks-Newell region, technology to treat oil-contaminated soil across Alberta and a carbon capture and sequestration project at the Mercer paper mill in Peace River.
The province says the Brooks-Newell hydrogen project is intended to reduce diesel use by 40 per cent for heavy-duty vehicles.
The soil-treatment project is developing technology designed to break down oil contamination faster and at a lower cost, while the Peace River project will advance carbon capture and sequestration technology to reduce emissions from the paper mill.
“These technology investments are helping communities seize new opportunities, showcasing Alberta’s ingenuity and expertise, creating jobs, supporting long-term economic growth and building on the strengths that have long driven our province’s economic success and prosperity,” Environment and Protected Areas Minister Grant Hunter said.
The projects are being supported through Emissions Reduction Alberta.
“Deploying technology in Alberta’s rural and northern communities is essential to realizing its full potential,” Emissions Reduction Alberta CEO Justin Riemer said.
“These projects are putting innovative solutions to work in real-world operating environments, supporting local industries, attracting investment and creating new economic opportunities across the province.”
The province says the four projects are expected to create almost 600 jobs and reduce about 1,400 tonnes of emissions by 2030.
The funding comes from Alberta’s Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction fund, which supports projects aimed at developing and deploying technologies that reduce industrial emissions.
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