The Alberta government is handing out $50 million to companies investing in clean energy and emission reduction technologies.
Twenty-three projects are being funded through the Alberta Innovates Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction Economic Recovery Program.
Approved projects will provide technological solutions for Alberta’s energy industry, spanning areas such as oil and gas operations, partial upgrading, hydrogen production, recycling, artificial intelligence, machine learning and more.
Alberta Innovates expects 1,300 project-related jobs will be supported through the program while contributing $169 million to the province’s GDP.
“Alberta continues to lead in all forms of energy innovation. Alberta Innovates is building on our strengths by supporting groundbreaking discoveries and commercializing innovative solutions Alberta – and the world – needs,” said Jobs, Economy and Innovation Minister Doug Schweitzer in a statement.
Alberta Innovates CEO Laura Kilcrease says “Alberta is well-positioned to be a world leader in the transition to a lower carbon energy future, and this will involve integrating hydrogen into our oil and gas infrastructure.”
Calgary’s C-Fer Technologies (1998) Inc. is among the companies to receive funding. Managing director Francisco Alhanat says the $1.375 million it is receiving will help “further advance our ability to conduct full-scale tests in hydrogen environments in partnership with industry.
“These tests will play a critical role in helping our clients commercially adopt new technologies for hydrogen production, transportation and storage while maintaining the safety of their operations.”
Calgary-based SensorUp Inc. chief technology officer Steve Liang says it is using $450,000 to “tackle one of the most pressing issues facing the oil and gas sector: improving the efficiency, quality and safety of methane leak detection and repair.”
Companies have received between $5 million and $275,000 through the program. Projects began as early as last January and must be completed by March 2023.
Alberta Innovates is a provincial corporation that reports to the Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation. Alberta Innovates received a $50-million funding commitment over three years from the Alberta government’s industry-funded TIER system.
pcowley@reddeeradvocate.com
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