More investments from Alberta’s Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction System fund will diversify Alberta’s economy and create jobs through cutting-edge emissions reduction technology.

Up to $131 million from the TIER funding is being invested into Alberta’s Industrial Energy Efficiency and Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage Program (IEE CCUS), which helps industries save money and cut emissions through technology and equipment upgrades.

Seven projects will receive more than $100 million in IEE CCUS program funding, which will support an estimated 2,200 jobs and cut about 2.9 million tonnes of emissions by 2030 – the same as taking about 70,000 cars off the road each year.

Up to $31 million in IEE CCUS funding will also be allocated to support more projects in the near future.

“We are moving Alberta forward with climate policies that are creating jobs and actually reducing emissions. These investments will help create jobs, spur economic growth and continue the hard work that we are doing to protect our environment as a responsible and sustainable energy leader,” said Jason Kenny, Premier of Alberta.

Funding is supporting upgrading engines at a natural gas facility to reduce fuel use and cut emissions, and converting wasted heat from generators into emissions-free technology at a gas plant, among other initiatives.

Project examples include:

  • Advantage Energy Ltd. will construct and install a state-of-the-art carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at its Glacier Gas Plant. IEE CCUS program funding will support Phase 1 of the project, which will cut about 46,800 tonnes of emissions each year and improve the plant’s emissions intensity by 22 per cent.
  • Tidewater Midstream will build Alberta’s first fully integrated blue hydrogen plant at the Brazeau River Complex. The facility will use a CCS hydrogen production unit that converts methane to hydrogen, and the resulting emissions will be captured and stored underground. The plant will also introduce a 15-megawatt turbine with heat recovery steam generation. Excess stream will be used to offset natural gas consumption from the plant’s boilers. The overall project will cut about 31,000 tonnes of emissions each year.
  • Imperial plans to install five additional units across the Kearl Oil Sands mine facility to recover waste heat that would otherwise go into the atmosphere. This heat would be reused in operations, resulting in less steam usage and fewer emissions. This will reduce heat loss by up to 50 per cent in the winter months, cut about 190,000 tonnes of emissions each year, and recover and reuse up to 700,000 cubic metres of condensed water per year – the amount of water needed to fill about 280 Olympic swimming pools.
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Profile photo of Michael Belenkie

Michael Belenkie, president and COO of Advantage Energy Ltd.

“The TIER program creates a gound-breaking approach to emissions reduction by recycling industry dollars directly back into programs that incentivize carbon reduction investment. Using entropy technology, industry emitters in Alberta and around the world will have the opportunity to reduce emissions in stages to achieve targeted outcomes,” said Michael Belenkie, president and COO of Advantage Energy Ltd.

Investment in the IEE CCUS program is part of the Alberta government’s $750-million spend from the TIER fund and other public funding to support up to 8,700 jobs, inject $1.9 billion into Alberta’s economy and cut about six million tonnes of emissions each year. This investment is in direct response to the unprecedented economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Successful projects under the IEE CCUS program were chosen through a competitive evaluation process. Proposals were reviewed based on emissions reductions and benefits to industry competitiveness, job creation and economic resilience.

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