The Government of Canada is investing $5.8 million across three projects in British Columbia (BC) to support “made-in-Canada” carbon management technology.
The federal government has taken steps to bolster the country’s CCUS capabilities and support “Canada’s ambitions of becoming a clean energy superpower.”
This funding comes through Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) Energy Innovation Program via its carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) call for proposals. The call aims to finance the research, development, and demonstration of Canadian CCUS solutions.
Three tech companies from the Metro Vancouver area have been picked: Vancouver-based electrochemical engineering firm Agora Energy Technologies, Burnaby biotech startup Anodyne Chemistries, and Burnaby cleantech scaleup Svante.
Agora will receive nearly $2.5 million from NRCan to develop its carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and utilization processes that use impure flue gas as part of a $3.4-million project. This comes shortly after Agora landed funding from the BC Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy (which has since rebranded to NorthX Climate Tech).
NRCan is also giving $2 million to Anodyne’s $5-million initiative aimed at demonstrating and scaling up processes for making chemical commodities like formate. Chief executive Iain Evans argued that converting CO2 into chemicals offers a profitable and scalable pathway for firms to reduce emissions and generate new revenue streams.
Svante has received $1.35 million from NRCan to enhance its contaminants testing capabilities by establishing new facilities through a $2.92-million project. Svante co-founder and senior vice-president Brett Henkel said this federal investment demonstrates confidence in both Svante and Canada’s carbon management sector.
As BetaKit has reported, BC is quickly establishing itself as a cleantech hub. Ahead of the first Web Summit Vancouver in May, BC organizations teamed up to showcase local innovation and market the region’s businesses.
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CCUS activity across Canada has also been picking up lately. Earlier this year, Montréal-based Deep Sky booted up its inaugural direct-air carbon capture facility in Alberta. Meanwhile, Calgary-based Carbon Upcycling closed $24.5 million to develop its tech, and Frontier struck a $43.3-million deal with Dartmouth, NS-based Planetary Technologies to remove atmospheric CO2 emissions through the ocean.
In recent years, the federal government has taken steps to bolster the country’s CCUS capabilities and support “Canada’s ambitions of becoming a clean energy superpower.” In Budget 2021, the feds committed $319 million over seven years to advance the commercial viability of CCUS technologies—which NRCan is delivering.
Last year’s federal budget also included a CCUS investment tax credit alongside other incentives aimed at helping the country reach net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
In July, NRCan announced more than $21.5 million in funding for CCUS projects in Alberta.
Feature image courtesy Svante.